It Makes No Bloody Difference
by Tryllium
Summary: S&E set after Dead in Dallas with liberty taken.  Bill has left; S & E are forced to complete an assigment for unknown guest; involves travel; plenty of lemons along with a "whodunnit"; several new characters: love, sex & Sookie the trouble magnet.
1. Chapter 1

_Ok, just for the serious stuff. Anything I write or say in this story is for fictional purposes only, and is not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, or individual, or anyone or thing, especially those with the ability and desire to fight back or bite me. This story may inadvertently and occasionally become obscene, prurient, useless, hate-filled, poisonous, pornographic, frivolous, empty, rotten, bad, disgusting, hostile, repulsive, virulent, infectious… I cannot in any way condone, endorse or take responsibility for such content, it is probably due to a complete lack of coffee, sleep and sex._

_While the storyline and what streams over the next few months are mostly mine - I owe the characters and the basis to which I am writing to Charlaine Harris, and I do not make any money or gain anything from doing this except the fantasizing as I wait impatiently for the next book to come out._

* * *

Chapter One

Sitting on the front porch of the old farmhouse, in the morning with a steaming cup of coffee had always been a favourite pastime of mine. I looked out over my beautiful driveway, with its expensive gravel, and lined parking area, and smiled to myself. I was thinking how ironic it was that Eric Northman would make sure that my home had its proper and required maintenance and upkeep while, the man who "said" he loved me, would turn a blind eye to my very human problems, like plumbing and driveways – something a single girl can usually count on her boyfriend for.

It didn't do me any good to sit there, and turn these things over and over in my mind – because Bill Compton, wasn't my boyfriend anymore. He had sold me to the Queen for the chance to rise in the ranks of vampires – a social climber – as my gran would have said. He researched, me and my family, and thanks to my cousin Hadley, the queen's lover – had found out that I was a telepath, something the queen coveted as extremely useful.

When Bill Compton came to Bon Temps, he sought me out, at my job as a bar maid at Merlottes. He had done just enough homework to know that I was generally thought of as "that crazy Sookie Stackhouse" – because of my abililty that everybody in Bon Temps knew about but no one would acknowledge. He paid attention to me, he spoke to me, and his mind, like all vampires for me – was blessedly silent. No, abohorrent thoughts about my breasts, or my backside or even about how dull and uninteresting I was. That made his company a pleasure to be around – you have no idea how much impact knowing what someone is thinking on date, can be.

But Bill betrayed me, he sold me for 30 pieces of silver – his title, his rank amongst the vampire – and I was jaded and hurt, and I had rescinded his invitation to my home, to my life. He was dead to me – how funny, considering he was already dead... I decided that this was quite enough wallowing, and stood up to walk inside my house.

After putting my coffee cup in the sink – I walked back into my bedroom, with its ajoining bathroom. I took a quick shower, running the razor over my legs, and making sure everything was smooth and silky. After drying off, I put my hair up into a quick ponytail and picked out bikini. I was pleased to see that it was a little looser than the last time I had worn it. I grabbed my radio, sunglasses and coconut oil, and went to lay on the lounger. I liked to get a little sun in the afternoon – I know it's bad for your skin – but I figured that we all have vices, and mine is this one – sue me. I had only been laying out for about a half hour, when I heard a vehicle coming down the driveway. I looked – to see my brother Jason's black truck, resplendent in its pink flamed glory, shined and waxed to a glossy finish.

He jumped out of the truck, and came over to sit on the ground next to my lounger.

"How are you sis? Lookin' good," he said. His eyes, strayed to the back of the yard, where the propane tank sat, and then did a general scan of the rest of the property. Jason always kept a keen eye on what the old property looked like, I think part of him still felt like this house, my house, was partially his. "You got the place lookin' really smart. You had someone out here helping you?"

I looked up at him, and sighed, "I am perfectly capable of taking care of most things around here, as long as they aren't too hard."

"I still don't understand why one of those vampire guys don't help you out around here... They are supposedly so strong and fast, they could do most jobs twice as fast as one of us could." He looked at me, appraisingly. "How many of them are you dating right now anyhow?"

"Jason Stackhouse, after all the girls that you've run through, you should talk." I glared up at him, then said resignedly, "I'm not dating anyone right now."

"Not even Vampire Bill? He seemed like a nice enough guy, for... Well, a deader." He paused. "Well I guess your business is your own, I'm sure not going to tell you how to live your life. Anyhow, so the reason I'm here is to find out whether I can go in the shed and grab the post digger Gran had. I am building a deck off the back for a hot tub, and I want to dig the holes." Jason had my parents old house, a house we'd both inherited when my parents died. He routinely did upgrades, mostly structure stuff, roof, new porch on the front, this deck.

"Go ahead, you know where it is." I watched him walk and get it. He came walking back over, and tossed the tool in the back of his truck bed. He opened the door, and looked back at me.

"You know, if Bill didn't screw up too bad, maybe you should give him another shot. I liked him for you." He didn't say another word, just got into his truck. The engine roared to life, and he drove down the driveway.

I liked him for me too, Bill was the first man to ever kiss me, to make love to me – to make me feel normal, not like Crazy Sookie Stackhouse. He broke my heart, when he went back to his maker Lorena. He cheated on me, and he lied. Bill would never have that chance again. Never.

I spent a few more hours in the sun, baking to a toasty gold before the sun began to fad in the early afternoon. I gathered up my things and went back into the house. In the kitchen, I did up a few dishes I had in the sink, and wiped down the front of the old fridge. I walked down the hall, towards my bedroom, eyeing the house as I went. Most things looked spic and span, if not a little threadbare.

In my bedroom, I grabbed a pair of black shorts, and my white boat-neck Merlotte's shirt, standard bar maid uniform. I pulled my thick blonde hair into a high ponytail, and snapped a black bow onto the top, and made sure all stray hairs were gelled firmly in place. I grabbed my purse and walked out into the early evening. I was working a close shift at the bar, and it was a Friday – my tips would be good, if I busted my butt.

It was dusk and the haze of pollen was heavy in the humid air. My house was in the middle of a clearing set aways back from the road, inside the forest. Normally I liked the solitude it provided, but right now – something was wrong. I caught a faint trace of otherness in the air, and I realised that the sounds of the crickets and frogs had suddenly ceased. I heard movement in the woods to the right of my parking area. It was coming fast, crashing through the underbrush. Caught halfway between the car and the house, I chose the car – and ran for it, keys in my hand, ready to stuff in the ignition. I had just slammed the door to my car, when a face slammed up against the window. I shrieked and shoved down the door lock. I jammed the keys in and started the car, when the window suddenly imploded and a hand reached in a grabbed me around my neck. I fought and screamed, and grabbed the hand clamped around me, that was slowly and inescapably pulling me through the window. The small pieces of safety glass dug into my back as I was dragged through the window, and I could feel my skin tearing and bleeding. I kicked and punched, but it was like punching a piece of iron for the effect it had. The hand was still around my neck, and he turned me to face him. I looked through dimming sight at a vampire, with red hair – and bright blue eyes. His rage was apparent, and he looked insane. In one last coherent thought, I thought at Bill, like a bullet was that thought – to have him hear me, to know that I needed help. He'd had my blood, he should be able to hear me. Then as I lost consciousness, I saw the vampires fangs as he lowered them to my neck and bit me.


	2. Chapter 2

_Anything I write or say in this story is for fictional purposes only, and is not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, or individual, or anyone or thing, especially those with the ability and desire to fight back or bite me. This story may inadvertently and occasionally become obscene, prurient, useless, hate-filled, poisonous, pornographic, frivolous, empty, rotten, bad, disgusting, hostile, repulsive, virulent, infectious… I cannot in any way condone, endorse or take responsibility for such content, it is probably due to a complete lack of coffee, sleep and sex. _

_While the storyline and what streams over the next few months are mostly mine - I owe the characters and the basis to which I am writing to Charlaine Harris, and I do not make any money or gain anything from doing this except the fantasizing as I wait impatiently for the next book to come out._

* * *

Chapter Two

I was falling, floating and drifting all at the same time. I was surrounded by light, but I couldn't see anything. I heard vague noises, voices perhaps, heard my name being called, but I couldn't tell by who. I could feel soft touching on my body, but I couldn't tell just where. Bill, Bill, Bill - but that couldn't be right, he didn't want me anymore. He left me alone in the dark, he left me to be with another woman. My heart ached, and I cried inside my void, cried for love lost and love that never was to begin with. I cried and screamed and carried on like a child. Wondering if I would ever feel like I was alive – I felt so alone – so dead. I doubted that my feelings would ever return to me, physically I would be locked in the silent abyss. My heart felt so alive in my chest, in its cauldron of pain, boiling over with what I had dealt with. Despite what I knew that my physical body was going through, I knew, I knew that that my heart was bleeding for the loss of him, of his love – of what I knew what the only true thing I'd ever feel. Everything else would be jaded from then on and would be forever.

Then cold hands were touching me, like a cold washcloth your mother put on you when you had a fever, except that is wasn't wet. Touching me, patting my arms, rubbing my legs, cradling my body. Voices began to seep through the cavity that was my own – voices that I could hear in my head – not with my ears... More pain, more insecurity the feelings, so intensely secret – no one knew I could hear them. I knew this now, because the vampires were around me, cradling me in their den of inequity. I could hear Bill, once silent to me... He was thinking that he would meet the sun if I was dead. He was feeling guilt about my injuries, he was feeling remorse as he looked upon my body, so still under him. I could see his thoughts, I could see what he saw, as he looked at me, as he blamed himself for the trouble that had befallen me. I could see the replay again and again in his mind, as he came upon me being bitten and drained by my yet unknown offender, the one who had bitten me, the one who had dragged me screaming from my car.

I heard another – the powerful feelings reaching through my blankness, but not Bill... I felt his love, his love? What was that, I reached for it with my mind, and I felt a passion for me, a pity for me for he knew what I was feeling, he knew, he saw – he lived it. He loved me, he didn't know why – but he felt it – and he was bewildered by the feeling, he was taken aback by its passion, who, I didn't know – I tried to get hold of what, of who he was. It was fleeting to me, but vaguely familiar at the same time, my dreams of him came together in me in my soul. Who, who, who could it be? I whimpered – the first sound I had made in hours – and the room grew silent. The thoughts grew silent – and I realised for the first time that I was hearing their thoughts for the first time, with my head as well as my ears. I could hear with my head, I could hear with my ears, I could feel with my body – and I could speak. For the first time in hours, I opened my eyes, to find out if I could see as well.


	3. Chapter 3

_Anything I write or say in this story is for fictional purposes only, and is not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, or individual, or anyone or thing, especially those with the ability and desire to fight back or bite me. This story may inadvertently and occasionally become obscene, prurient, useless, hate-filled, poisonous, pornographic, frivolous, empty, rotten, bad, disgusting, hostile, repulsive, virulent, infectious… I cannot in any way condone, endorse or take responsibility for such content, it is probably due to a complete lack of coffee, sleep and sex. _

_While the storyline and what streams over the next few months are mostly mine - I owe the characters and the basis to which I am writing to Charlaine Harris, and I do not make any money or gain anything from doing this except the fantasizing as I wait impatiently for the next book to come out._

* * *

Chapter Three

I was in my room, in my house. My cream coloured room – when I opened my eyes, Bill was looking at me, with concern. So were Pam and Eric. I was lying on my bed, in my bar maid uniform. I wasn't sure how I felt; the night was still upon us so it couldn't have been too long. Bill knelt down beside me, and reached for my hand.

"Sookie, how are you feeling," he said. "Do you remember anything of what happened to you?" I pulled my hand out of his. He looked put out, and then stood up.

I reached up to the area above the collar on my shirt and felt the rough fabric of gauze and tape. It was sore, and I winced.

"Where is the vamp that bit me?" I asked no one in particular, since so many were there – I figured that they would all know before me.

"He has been... dispatched." Eric answered.

Pam snickered but then looked at me fiercely.

"You are more trouble than you're worth telepath," she said. "Every single time I turn around you are getting attacked, or making me go out of my way to get you out of some sort of dilemma." I wondered if she noticed that all of this started happening when I started associating with vampires.

"Pam, enough." Eric, shot her a look_. Pam_ _should learn to leave matters such as this, to me_, he thought. _It isn't her place. I know she doesn't approve of my feelings for Sookie._

Wait... He thought. He thought those things... I reached for it. I reached for his mind. I felt sexual desire, which I knew – because Eric had always wanted me as a lover, no secret there. I felt drive and ambition, the desire to use my telepathic abilities to gain status in his area and with his queen. I also felt a tentative curiosity about the intensity of his feelings for me. A wonderment about feeling almost human for the first time in a millennium.

All of the sudden as I was reaching for his mind and experiencing his feelings and thoughts – he flinched. He looked hard at me, and abruptly all senses from Eric were cut off. He shook his head slightly as if dizzy and then focused keenly on me.

"Sookie, what do you remember?" They all looked at me. I felt like an entree.

"Well. I remember getting ready for work, and going to my car. And I remember that I got scared because the woods had gotten so quiet. I ran for the car, and then he broke my window and he pulled me through it and then he bit me." I paused. "Who was he?"

"We don't know, Sookie. He wasn't an old vampire; he couldn't have been more than a few months old. He certainly didn't know how to fight." Pam laughed. "It didn't take more than a few minutes to finish his ass off."

I tried to sit up, but dizziness washed over me. "I don't understand why he was here. Why is it that all of you guys are such magnets for violence?"

"Sookie, you need to rest," said Bill. "Eric and Pam got here first, but you were nearly drained. Pam killed the vampire, but Eric had to give you blood. You wouldn't have survived otherwise." Bill looked grim. "You are healing, and you will be fine, but it will take a little more time to feel normal."

I laughed like a loon. Considering I was surrounded by vampires, normal was the least likely feeling I would have. I would love to feel normal, but knowing what I know, there was no going back down that road. I looked at Bill, and wondered if I could hear all vampires, or whether it was Eric specific. I reached out to Bill's mind, just to see...

Cloudy with doubt about his status with Eric, could he really get around Eric's mistrust. Jealousy because he knew, he wanted to kill Eric; he wanted to have me – his sexual desire for me, his love... No. I wanted to know no more. Bill was dead to me.

"Bill, I rescinded my invitation to your home. What are you doing in here?" I could barely look at him, it was painful for me.

"Sookie, the vampire had bitten and strangled you, you weren't breathing... If we hadn't have given you blood, you would have remained dead. You were not the owner of this home, when we brought you inside to attempt to revive you. I was able to enter, because of it."

I snorted. "I'm getting really effing sick of finding out new rules about you guys. And getting even more sick of getting beat up and bitten because you all can't get along. I really don't know why you bothered at all Bill."

"Please Sookie, I'm sorry, I was forced. I was defiled by Lorena, I never would have made that choice to hurt you. She delighted in bringing pain and horror to every moment I ever had with her. I've never embraced the nature of the beast, and I would welcome death before I would hurt you intentionally." He dropped his eyes. "I didn't know you, when I accepted the assignment from Sophie Anne. I loved you from the moment I saw you."

My heart broke as he said these words. I knew them to be true as soon as he said them, because I could hear him now. What had happened, whatever had happened, he spoke the truth. And I knew it. But I couldn't let it go.

"Bill I need you to leave. I do not rescind your invitation, but I think you should go home now. I need some time." A tear rolled down my face. Pam and Eric viewed this exchange dispassionately.

Bill looked at me, then at Eric and Pam, then back at me. "I will always be here, when you need me darling. Always." And with that Bill Compton drifted silently out of my room. I heard the front door close quietly a moment later.

"Pam, you may return to Shreveport." Pam, smirked and walked out of the room.

"Sookie, do you have any idea who would try to kill you? I will have vengeance." Eric looked fierce, as he said it.

"No Eric, I don't know. But aren't y'all a little more inclined to attack me more than the normal human? I mean, why don't I just plant a come and get it sign on my front porch?" I looked away from him for a moment.

He gazed at me silently for a second. "Sookie," he said quietly. "Something is different. I've had your blood. I can tell." He sat down beside me on the bed. He looked at me. By this time, I was sitting up rather well, in fact I was feeling quite well.

He looked at me intensely. "Why won't you yield to me Sookie? You want me, I know, and I've been told I am quite proficient, it's not a matter that I won't please you, because I know that I will."

"Eric, I have no desire to sleep with you because of your so-called ability in bed. You disgust me with your constant propositioning me. I am not one of your fang bangers." I sniffed. Now that I was sitting up, I glanced at myself in the mirror. I could see a mass of bandages on my neck, and my hair was a mess. My face wasn't so bad, at least not as bad as I thought. A little pale perhaps, but my tan offset that well.

"How much of your blood have I had tonight Eric?" I felt pretty darned good for someone who had been dead less than two hours ago.

"Enough," he said. "I will need to feed soon."

"How do you know if I've had too much blood? Will it make our bond stronger and stronger?" I looked at him questioningly.

"It's not an exact science, of measurements and so forth. Yes, our blood bond will be stronger. You'll be able to feel what I'm feeling, especially when we're near each other."

He looked at the dark square of the window. "I have about 5 hours until dawn. Sookie... Something has changed. I felt you inside my head tonight. Can you hear my thoughts Sookie?"

"Eric, not a chance. I can't hear vampires. You know that." Suddenly, my head was filled with gruesome portrayals of Eric draining people, women, men, children – violent and repulsive. I gasped. Just as fast the picture changed to Eric and I engaged in activities, so private that I was stunned by the provocative nature of them, some of them so unusual I had never even dreamed of... I must have shown my reaction. He dropped down on the bed beside me, and grabbed my face in his hands.

"I know you saw that Sookie. I know you did. I felt it, I saw your reaction. My instincts are old, and I don't know what you are, but I know that you feel it. You've had enough of my blood, you know what I say is true. And Sookie, I would never hurt you. I might not do things that you approve of, but I do what I say, and I say what I do." He leaned down, and after looking at me, lowered his lips to mine.

It was like flying, his lips moulding the shape of my mouth. Parting my lips with his own, and crushing me with his passion. I knew, in my mind of before – that it couldn't be, but his mind was open to me, and I could feel his naked ardour the rawness of his emotions, even as he struggled against human feelings that he hadn't had in a millennium. It broke me down, and I began to respond. I ran my hands through his hair, and I felt his fangs run down and he began to run his hands over my body with a familiarity that was due to the fact that he had run this moment over and over again in his mind since he had met me. I could hear it; I could see it and now I could feel it.

Suddenly, Eric was gone. His hands were off my body, and I was gasping for air. I looked stunned around the room, and saw Eric, pinned up against the door by Bill who had him by the throat.

"Compton, let me go, or I will be forced to kill you. Not that I haven't wanted to do that over and over again, for your arrogance and your deceit." Eric eyed him – holding himself with a self control that was admirable.

"You don't touch her Eric, you don't sully her with your dirty and bloody hands," Bill said.

"Bill, take your hands off him. You decided to dump me for that bitch Lorena, you fooled around on me. You have no right to decide what I do, or with whom I do it. You lost that right; you have no business here anymore." I was embarrassed beyond belief. I felt cheap – to be thinking that one moment I love Bill beyond my life, and to respond like a whore as soon as Eric touched my body. I was so confused; both men were sending me signals that indicated that both would like to have sex with me, and to kill the other. "Bill, you lost me, you left me, you discarded our love, I can't let that go, and I don't care about whether you had to go to Lorena – I was here all along, it's a shabby excuse, and you destroyed us. Bill, you lost me, and I rescind the invitation to my home."

I watched as the powerful magic overtook him, and he walked backward out the door to my room. "Sookie." He said pleadingly, as he was forced out the door by the ancient magic.

"Sookie. I will always love you." And I heard the door to the front of the house close. It sounded like a coffin closing. Eric walked towards me, and I looked at him coldly. "Don't even think of it Eric. I don't need your bullshit tonight, I really don't."

"Well Miss Stackhouse, I see that my blood agrees with you, you certainly came back from the dead tonight, in fighting form." He smiled. "All in good time, my future lover." He looked at me with an eyebrow arched, "that's right Sookie, you will be my lover, and you will come to me of your own accord. Believe me Sookie, I always get what I want."

And he looked at me, smiling – but his mind was spinning a different story... I could see the yearning, to be loved – to have me look at him the same way I looked at Bill. That was what he envied, what he had forgotten, the way his wife looked at him so many hundreds of years ago.

"Sookie, get out of my head," and suddenly he was beside me on my bed again. "You do that too often with vampires and you will be killed. I don't know why I just don't kill you now, because you certainly are a lot of trouble. Do not let anyone know that you can hear our thoughts, my lover. You will be drained dry before you can utter the words." He leaned over to kiss me, but seeing the look on my face, perhaps thought better of it and instead, kissed me on the forehead, like Jason might.

"You will see what it can be like for us Sookie. I will have you in my bed."  
And he launched himself out the window.


	4. Chapter 4

_Anything I write or say in this story is for fictional purposes only, and is not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, or individual, or anyone or thing, especially those with the ability and desire to fight back or bite me. This story may inadvertently and occasionally become obscene, prurient, useless, hate-filled, poisonous, pornographic, frivolous, empty, rotten, bad, disgusting, hostile, repulsive, virulent, infectious… I cannot in any way condone, endorse or take responsibility for such content, it is probably due to a complete lack of coffee, sleep and sex. _

_While the storyline and what streams over the next few months are mostly mine - I owe the characters and the basis to which I am writing to Charlaine Harris, and I do not make any money or gain anything from doing this except the fantasizing as I wait impatiently for the next book to come out._

* * *

Chapter Four

I was so unbelievably angry at the world, once everyone cleared out of my house, that I thought I'd never get back to sleep. Sighing, I slowly made my way into my attached bathroom. I wanted to take a good look at myself. What I saw, didn't please me. I had a faint circling of bruises around my neck, with and the bandage taped to the side of my neck. I gently peeled back the bandage and looked at it in the mirror.

There was no doubt about it, the wound was nasty – jagged and inflamed around the edges. However, it was itching and clearly healing. It was puckered enough to look several days old, not hours. Vampire blood surely was something else... I showered, because my hair hadn't fared so well – and its neat ponytail was full of grit from the driveway and little pieces of glass from my car. I washed myself carefully, and got out – putting on a cotton nightgown. Then, I finally gave myself the freedom to think about what had transpired tonight.

I sat down on the sofa, and began to brush my hair. I had laid out wood for a fire a few days ago, and I decided to light it, to take the edge off the chill of the night. I couldn't come up with one good reason why a vampire would want to hurt me now. Aside from the fact that I didn't think that any of them were mad at me at the present moment, well maybe a little put out, but enough to kill me? There had been plenty of chances to do that. I guess taking Bill from Russell Edgington's Mississippi mansion, and staking that cow Lorena, might have made a few angry. Come to think of it, maybe I did have a few enemies out there. I sighed. How in the world I had come from simple little Sookie Stackhouse, barmaid and good girl to this point in my life in less than a year was really incredible.

I grabbed my old flowered afghan, a derelict hand-me-down, passed on through generations of Stackhouses, and as ugly as sin, but so toasty warm. Curling up on the couch in front of the fire, seemed like the best plan for now. I certainly wasn't going to be able to sleep well tonight. There was just too much to think about. For one thing, where did Bill get off acting like he owned me, and Eric – well I wasn't even going to get started on Mr. High and Mighty Eric Northman.

I can't say I wasn't worried about what the mega-sized dose of vampire blood had seemed to change with my ability - especially because Eric knew, and I no longer had a vampire to look after me. I was really worried that he would try to use this to his advantage, I mean – Eric was all about what's best for Eric... I laid down and thought about it some more, figuring that it wouldn't be that hard to conceal my knowledge of vampire thoughts from them, no different than putting on the act I do now for the other half of the population anyhow. Let them all think that I was crazy, and although I had cherished the silence the vamps had given me till now. I drifted off to sleep with that thought.

My dreams were filled with odd segments, not of anything that I really recognised, like Fangtasia's, the inside of a car, talking to Pam, my own face, oddly beautiful and glowing from within. I also dreamed about a stone house, set back far along a hill. I could smell the sharp salt of the ocean, and see the wind cutting through tall grass, that grew without being disturbed by concrete or asphalt. I heard a voice, but I could only catch brief phrases and sentences, none of which I understood... I was walking in a strange field, that became slowly light – surreal almost, then the strange field became the walk from the cemetery, into my own yard. I dream-walked towards my house, and there was a man sitting on my porch. Dressed in jeans, and a white t-shirt, his hair pulled back from his face with a hank of elastic, sat Eric. The sun was just beginning to peak out from over the trees, and I began to panic.

"Eric, the sun is coming up. You have to get inside." I began to run towards him but like most dreams, where you want to get somewhere or away from something really quickly, the house seemed to move farther and farther away. But then Eric stood up, and like vampires can – moved towards me with such speed and grace that it was like water cutting through the sand. The sun continued to rise, and along with it, my heart into my throat.

"Lover, it is only in dreams that we can be together in the sun – my Freyja, my Sookie, my woman of the sun. I was always able to taste the sun on your skin." He bent his head to mine, and kissed me lingeringly on the side of my neck, close to the shelf of my jaw, pushing my hair back as he did. I closed my eyes, and just relaxed in the circle of his arms. He didn't try to touch me, or do anything untoward, he just held me and we stood there in the glow of the dream sunrise. I felt protected in the embrace, and I just let go, with my mind and with my body and soul. I drifted away in Eric's arms...

When I woke up, the sun was streaming in the living room windows, and the fire had burned down cold. I was still wrapped in the afghan, and it took me a moment to figure out what the heck had happened. I shook my head slightly, I felt a little sore, but all in all – I felt pretty darned good for a lady who had just about died the day before. I was sore, and my neck hurt where that effing vampire had tried to drain me, but I felt well rested and languid, almost like I'd had amazing sex the night before and then a great night's sleep. I kept the blanket around me and walked out to the kitchen to make a coffee, scarcely believing it was only yesterday morning that my life had been almost snuffed out... When I came out to the kitchen, there was an envelope on the floor in front of the door. Someone had slipped it through the mail slot.

_Dearest Sookie, _

_I have already told you that I was sorry, and I meant it. I can only say it so many times, and there comes a point when you will have to choose to believe me, or not. I do not blame you for your reaction to the events that have transpired in the past few months, but so you are aware – I will always love you. You brought me back to occupy a place in humanity, that I never felt I would hold again. For that I will be eternally in your debt, and you never need to hesitate to call, should you ever require my services. _

_I will be leaving for Peru, as I've always wanted to see the ruins from the Incans. Those ancient and first vampires, had a very interesting perspective on life and I look forward to writing about it in my memoirs. I don't know when I'll be returning, but when I do – know that my feelings for you won't have diminished or changed, and that you will always be the woman of my heart._

_Yours always;_

_William Compton_

Bill's letter just pissed me off, for he had thrown it all away with he and I. I was so done with all these vampires, and their complete and utter bullshit.

Grabbing my cup of coffee, I headed back for my bedroom again. The bed hadn't been slept in, so there was no need to make it. I knew that I had to work tonight – and the hour was late – I'd slept in until mid afternoon, and I needed to get ready for the bar. I was a little apprehensive about how I was going to cover up the marks on my neck, and got to thinking that maybe a small bandanna might be the ticket for the evening, I mean where else can you do down home country girl, but in back woods Louisiana?

I put the afghan back in the linen closet, and took off my nightgown in the bathroom. I had a full length mirror on the back of my bathroom door, and I examined how I looked in the mirror. The bandage, was there – obviously, and there was a faint dusting of bruises across the lower part of my jaw. The rest of me looked okay. Well, looked good actually. My tummy was on the flat side, my waist on the narrow side, and I had ample enough breasts to earn decent tips at Merlotte's when the Friday night drinking crowd was in.

Okay, the moment of truth – I took a deep breath and pulled on the gauze tape that held the bandage to my neck. It hurt a little, but I was astonished at what I saw. The ragged edges of the ugly wound from last night were almost gone. You could almost look at it, and think that perhaps I'd gotten a bad scratch across my neck, that had pretty much healed. I braced myself when I got in the shower, to see if the hot water hurt it at all, but it all seemed to be quite good.

Once I had dried off, I got dressed again, different uniform of course – feeling vaguely like I was experiencing déjà vue. Then I remembered that the driver's side window of my car was busted open. I didn't even know if it had rained last night. I thought that I'd better get a box, and a whisk broom to sweep out the small pieces of glass, and a towel to sit on. Maybe I could take the car right over to Jason's tonight – and he could let me park the car in his garage, until tomorrow when I could get it fixed. I sighed.

"Effing Vampires."


	5. Chapter 5

_Anything I write or say in this story is for fictional purposes only, and is not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, or individual, or anyone or thing, especially those with the ability and desire to fight back or bite me. This story may inadvertently and occasionally become obscene, prurient, useless, hate-filled, poisonous, pornographic, frivolous, empty, rotten, bad, disgusting, hostile, repulsive, virulent, infectious… I cannot in any way condone, endorse or take responsibility for such content, it is probably due to a complete lack of coffee, sleep and sex. _

_While the storyline and what streams over the next few months are mostly mine - I owe the characters and the basis to which I am writing to Charlaine Harris, and I do not make any money or gain anything from doing this except the fantasizing as I wait impatiently for the next book to come out._

* * *

Chapter Five

The usual crowd was in at Merlotte's, the Friday Night boys, I often thought of them, such as the road crew workers, that Jason worked with and I felt comfortable that the night would go well. This crowd was pretty happy go lucky, with the exception of Jane Bodehouse, sitting on her usual bar stool scoping out the crowd to see if there were any new faces she could convince to buy her drinks. I could tell that I was going to have to call her son tonight to pick her up.

Sam nodded a harried hello at me, dealing with a large drink order, as I went into the back office to deposit my purse. I grabbed a half apron from the clean linens box, and quickly went out to the bar floor to relieve Holly, the waitress who I was replacing.

"Hey Sook, what's shaking?" Holly was a bright and cheerful girl I had gone to high school with. I liked her very much. She knew about my "disability", and she also happened to be a Wiccan. We definitely had dirt on each other.

"Not much Holly, it's looking pretty busy in here tonight. Anything needs doing that I ought to know about?" I always liked to follow Holly after a shift, because she was very conscious of her responsibilities were.

"Nope we're pretty good here tonight, I've been dealing with what needs it, as it needs it." She stopped for a moment. "Did that vampire ever find you last night? You know, the red headed one? He was in here right after dark, and I told him you were in to relieve Arlene after her shift. Did he come and find you? I figured he was a friend of Bill's". I could see a visual of the vamp in Holly's head, and he sure matched my memory of the one who attacked me last night.

"Oh yeah, he found me Holly. What else did he say? Anything? I honestly didn't even catch his name last night; he came and went so fast. Did you see if he was driving anything?" I saw Holly's face blanch as she realised she might have just served me up ala carte last night. "Don't worry Holly, it's okay."

"Oh Sookie, I'm sorry. I never would have... I thought that because of Bill, and there's not like a lot of vamps around here. Did he hurt you or anything?" I shook my head no; there was no point in making her feel any worse. "Well, he didn't tell me his name or anything like that, and didn't see him in a car or anything, but then again I wasn't really looking."

I decided to go for it. What was the use of having telepathy, if you didn't use it to find out who almost drained you out in your front yard on a lonely Thursday night? I reached out with my mind, and pulled out the memories, sorting through them – quickly – so to try to go unnoticed.

There, it was – the red head. Now that I wasn't falling into unconsciousness, I could take my time and focus on small details I didn't see while I was dying in his grasp. He was wearing a leather jacket, nothing extraordinary there, and he had jeans and work boots on. He had a glittering diamond on the pinkie finger of his left hand. It sparkled, and caught my eye – as it had caught Holly's. That girl liked her ice. There wasn't much else in the exchange beyond what she told me and I withdrew from her thoughts.

Holly looked slightly dazed, and whispered apprehensively, "I didn't really always believe you could do that you know." I gazed steadily at her, but didn't say anything. "I'm sorry that I told that vamp that stuff about you, I didn't think I was doing any harm."

"Forget about it Holly. Listen, I had better get out there and start getting to those tables, if I'm going to make any tips tonight." I patted her on the back and left her looking slightly uncertain in the hallway leading back to the washrooms and office.

Arlene looked mutinous when I came out into the bar area, and Sam shot me a dark look. I began busting my hump, running drinks and food and clearing tables and soon my work was flowing right as rain again. I might not make as much in tips tonight, I had caught a few disapproving looks as I came out.

The night flowed by pretty steadily, and I was able to secure Jason's garage to store my car overnight, to keep it free from vandals and critters. I made small talk with the patrons and walked over to say hello to Sam, who looked like he was deep in thought.

Sam was a shape shifter – a true shape shifter. He mostly turned into a collie, but he could turn into just about anything he wanted, as long as he concentrated on it. He always turned at the full moon, but he could turn other times too, it was just harder to do. He had always had a trace of otherness about him, that I was always able to catch, but only able to identify after he revealed his secret to me. Sometimes he came and visited me in his dog form, but I only had let him sleep in the bed with me the one time – and that was before I knew he was Sam Merlotte the shape shifting collie. Now he sleeps on the rug beside the bed.

"Hey Sam, I think we're going to have to call Jane Bodehouse's son tonight. She's not looking too steady over there." I glanced over at Jane, whose shaking hands were grasping the glass in front of her and raised it to her lips. "Have you cut her off yet?"

"Yeah, I cut her off a while ago, but those guys sitting at the table by the door bought a round, and she convinced them to buy her another one, which she really didn't need. I've called her son already and taken her keys. He'll be here soon." He looked over at me. "I hear Bill has gone to Peru. How are you doing?"

I looked at him in surprise. "Well I'm doing just about as fine as can be. I am frankly quite surprised that Bill told you that he was going to Peru. I didn't really think the two of y'all liked each other all that much."

"He asked me to take care of his house, pick up his mail and a couple of other things for him while he was gone." Sam shrugged. "He's not so bad."

I was getting quite fed up with the Bill fan club, and Sam to take care of a couple of "other things"? Other things my ass. First Jason and now Sam. "Look Sam, I really think y'all should mind your own beeswax when it comes to this stuff. I don't know why my life has suddenly become so interesting to y'all."

"Sookie I've always cared about you, you know that." Sam looked at me, but he spoke quietly – we were still in the front of the bar.

"Funny how you decide to show it, as soon as someone else does. I do not need any more hassle right now Sam Merlotte. I really have enough to deal with right now." I glared at him, and stomped off – but I fixed a bright smile on my face for the customer I was taking the beer to.

The night continued along the same kind of trend, with customers coming and going, ordering drinks and food. A group of younger men, the same ones who had bought Jane Bodehouse an ill needed drink, were becoming loud and obnoxious. I saw Sam glance at them several times, frowning, but he hadn't yet cut them off. I walked over to their table, and began to clear up some empty glasses and ashtrays.

One of the men, wearing a yellow hat and blue jeans said, "Hey Sookie-girl, why don't you let your hair down. It's so pretty, but shouldn't be all tied back like that." He reached back to give my ponytail a tug.

"Now, knock it off boys. Keep your hands to yourself." I smiled, but inside I was a little put out. These guys were the kind that had known me all my life, throughout school and so forth, but never spoke to me, that is not until they thought they could treat me like I was a cheap waitress in a bar. I turned to walk away, but yellow hat, grabbed the back of my ponytail and pulled it out. It didn't hurt, but it threw me off balance, and my tray full of glasses went flying everywhere, spilling stale beer and flat pop across the floor in a carnage of broken glass.

Suddenly, yellow hat was backed up against the wall, and his friends equally focused on the tall blonde man standing beside me.

"Is there a problem here?" Eric let his fangs run down a little and gave them a grin that was toothsome as well as winsome. "I suggest you apologise to the lady, and ask the owner of the bar how much you owe him for the mess you just made in his establishment."

Yellow hat nodded vigorously, and walked over to Sam. One of his friends grabbed their coats and keys and headed for the door. Another threw down some money, more than enough to cover their tab and leave me a tip. Sam had apparently settled with yellow hat, and he also exited. Sam came out a moment later with a broom and mop, and began to clean up the glass and mess on the floor. When he was done, he returned to the bar, where Eric was sitting, not in my section either. He hadn't said a word to me since he walked in. Sam heated him a True Blood, and they talked a bit.

I continued to work, and the night had almost drawn to a close at the bar, so I began to go through my routine of getting things ready for the morning, filling the salt shakers, checking that the sweetener and sugar packages were full. It had started to rain outside, which I noticed when I began to shut the blinds to the windows.

"Sam, I'm going to go now. Eric can you give me a lift home? My car is in for repairs, the driver's side window was broken." Sam shot me a funny look, but Eric just raised his eyebrow at me, and nodded.

I went into the back and grabbed my purse and coat from the office, and we walked out into the night.

Eric's car was different this time, the last time I was in it; it had been a bright red Corvette. This time, it was some sort of sport utility vehicle, but not an off the lot job, this one had all the bells and whistles, definitely something that my brother would've drooled over. I noticed the word Escalade on the side of its glossy black paint, even more liquid in the silent rain that fell around us.

"I thought you were a sports car sort of guy." I looked at him and raise my own eyebrow this time. "This doesn't seem like you."

"I drive whatever suits me at the time. Tonight, with the weather being a little more inclement, I thought that this was a little more suitable than some of my others. I don't particularly like them being out in this weather." He started the car, and put it in drive. I put the heater on. Vampires sometimes forget that humans get cold.

I really didn't know what to say, I'd never really made small talk with Eric before. There was always some sort of plan, or purpose to all that we had experienced together, and now this – just a simple ride home. We sat in silence, for a few minutes.

"What were you doing in Bon Temps tonight Eric?" I looked over at him, but he remained focused on the road. He remained silent, so I repeated my question.

"Sookie, I haven't the faintest idea why I'm in Bon Temps tonight. It certainly isn't the night life." He didn't look proud with this admission, and I wondered where he was going to go with this conversation. I was catching parts of his thoughts, but more like random emotions rolling out to me, like waves. I tried not to invade that part of him, not tonight. I just wanted to hear what he said. My dream last night, had really set me off emotionally, and Eric's proximity to me in the car was setting me on edge.

"Eric, I had a really weird dream last night. Did you...?" I trailed off, not sure where to finish this conversation. He had just parked the truck in front of my house, and hadn't turned off the engine. He turned to look at me and his eyes were strangely luminous, matching the glow in his skin that all vampires have to me.

"I also dreamt Sookie." He reached out and stroked my cheek very gently with his thumb across the bottom of my jaw. As he did that, something in me, a well of emotion broke, and I turned my face so that my lips grazed the tops of his fingers as they traced my face. I reached my hand to his neck, and pulled his face to me. His eyes never left mine, and he lowered his lips to mine, not the rushed and hard kiss of last night, but a slow, lingering kiss that seared its way across my mouth and sizzled on my tongue. His hands drew me to him, and he half lifted me across the console until I was cradled in his lap. He held me like that for several minutes, and we continued to kiss and run our hands through each other's hair. The interior of the car began to fog up, and I noticed that we were still parked, with the car running in front of my house.

I giggled. "I've never been to the submarine races before." He cocked an eye at me.

"I do not know this phrase, what do you mean?"

"Never mind Eric, umm what is this between us? Is it just the blood bond or is it more?"

He continued nibbling at my neck and as he sucked my ear lobe between his teeth, he muttered, "So many questions, when the real question is for you Sookie. Do you yield?" And with that, he slid his hands, down my mysteriously unbuttoned shorts, and put them inside me. His gloriously long fingers worked me, while he continued to use his mouth on mine. Once I had almost reached the height pleasure, he suddenly stopped and looked at me, and said again, "Do you yield?"

"Oh God Eric, don't stop. Oh God yes." And with that, he had the car, off and me out of it, onto the front porch of my house in an instant, all the while cradled in his arms.

He had already been invited in, so the door was open and shut in an instant, and there was nothing but the feeling of flying before I was being set down on the bed in my room. Eric was everywhere at once, and my body responded like he was playing music on it. My shorts, already unbuttoned – disappeared – and the T-shirt I was wearing vanished in a volley of cotton rags. He unsnapped my bra, and took my breasts, one at a time, while continuing to massage me through my panties. I was so ready for him. I could feel him hard against me, as he strained against the material of his jeans. I reached down and unbuckled his belt, and pushed his jeans down his legs. I pulled his fangtasia shirt off him, and marvelled at the glory that was Eric's body.

He pushed me back on the bed, and placed his substantial self between my legs. Slowly, but surely he entered me. "Are you okay?" He looked down at me carefully, his eyes lit with passion. I nodded, and locked my legs around his waist forcing him to go deeper. He moaned, and let himself go.

Eric consumed me, he filled me, he moved with a rhythm that matched my mind, and as we rocked together in bliss, and then my mind began filing with images of us as lovers, engaged in erotic acts – making love, kissing, him touching me, fondling me, suckling me, and me doing the same things to him. I was filled with passion, and felt as if I was in paradise, and he continued to move within me bringing me to heights I had never known. I saw vivid colours, and felt his delight, through our bond and through my telepathy and I thought I was going to crack in half with the force of feelings flowing over me in waves. I bit my lip as he began to move faster and faster, and finally I thought I would be pounded through the bed. His fangs had run all the way down, and I moved my face to expose my whole neck to him, and he bit down on me, sucking at the blood at that ran down my shoulder. My body began to shudder, as I began to orgasm, and I raked my fingernails down his back in rapture and he trembled with his own climax and said something hoarsely in a language I had never heard before. We lay there for a moment not speaking and he lazily licked at the bite marks on my neck. He rolled off me, and put his head upon my shoulder, as he held me in his arms.

"Sookie, I just knew it would like this with you."

Eric and I laid there in silence for a while, not speaking, but just basking in the glow of mind blowing sex. I eventually turned to look at him, rolling over on my side and putting my head up on my elbow.

"Eric, why do you think that vamp came here last night? I have no idea who he is, although I do know how he found my house. Holly, another waitress at the bar told him last night." I thought about it some more, tried to find a link between this new vampire and the older ones that I knew might have a problem with me. I just couldn't find one. Typically the older vampires didn't bring over too many new vampires, as they older they got – the more of an honour they thought it bestowed on the human they were turning. Since most of the older vampires thought humans were below them, they didn't turn too many at all.

"Sookie, I asked around and from what I can ascertain, this vamp was completely new to this area. I can't seem to locate who made him, but believe me lover, I will find the culprit. I am after all, the Sheriff of Area Five, and if a vampire is making new vamps in my area, and setting them on humans that I have an interest in, it is most definitely my business." Well I sure was glad that Eric had his priorities straight.

I must have shown irritation, because he looked me over, a questioning look crossing his face. "You're not pleased lover? I would have thought that you would have been soothed in the knowledge that I am trying to find out why this occurred?" He looked at me again, I hadn't removed the stormy look on my face. "Oh grow up Sookie, didn't it ever cross your mind that as Sheriff, it is my duty to do this kind of work? It's my job and despite you thinking that I should only be interested in finding the guilty party because of my interest in you, that's simply not the case. There's more at stake here."

Eric was now, also up on one elbow – looking at me directly. He had definitely made himself clear in terms of where I stood with him, and as like Bill, I took a back door to stupid vampire politics and rules I couldn't begin to understand. I rolled over onto my back, and stared at the ceiling, suddenly deflated. I felt like I couldn't win, and even on the heels of mind altering (literally) sex, I felt empty and unfulfilled. Strangely depressed, I sighed.

"Lover," he said gently, turning my chin towards him with his hands. "I can feel what you want, it's easy to read you now, and I wish I could tell you something different. But I will never lie to you, and as much as I care about what happens to you, I have to also remember that I am responsible for something much more, many people and vampires, and it's important for you to recognise that." He kissed me gently on the forehead. "Do you understand that I'm saying that I can try to be both of those things?"

I looked up at him. I wasn't sure if it was the blood bond, or whether the fact that I had been intimate with him was weakening my resolve about vampires, but I was not sure what I was feeling. I knew that on some level I was still apprehensive about Eric, and what I was feeling. On the other hand, the sex was fabulous, and I sure would like to have some more of that, and soon. But more overwhelming that that was the fact that I was having a hard time separating Eric and myself, and I didn't know who was feeling what, the passion, the determination, the happiness, the sorrow. It was confusing as hell.

"Lover, are you going to say anything, or are you just going lay there naked? I can certainly make use of this time, if you are not..." He grinned at me suggestively.

"Eric, I'm not sure what is happening between us, and I certainly want to have sex again, and soon – but I find all this cloak and dagger with you guys very trying on me. I understand that you have things you need to take care of in your area." I sighed and inwardly cringed at what I was about to say. "I've already been cast aside like dirty laundry and I'm not too sure how involved I want to get with you, if you can't be with me. I don't want to play second fiddle to anyone or anything. I want to be first."

As soon as I said those words, I knew them to be true. The feelings that I had overshadowed the ones that were intermingled with Eric's via the blood bond, and my telepathy. I just wanted to be the special one, worth the time and the interest not just when it was convenient for him.

Eric looked down at me thoughtfully. "Sookie, it would be easier if you and I weren't together, believe me I've thought about it, over and over again. But I cannot get you out of my head, I think about you constantly and I have no idea why. I just know that when we are together, you make me feel something I haven't felt in centuries." He looked away for a moment, and then he placed his body on top of mine, and kissed me gently. "I do not know what these emotions mean, but I'm going to judge from the infrequency with which I've had them in the last millennium, that this thing between us is something special lover." He kissed me again, more passionately this time. "I intend on experiencing all of it, many, many times."

And with that he slid back inside me, rocking gently at first, then with more fervour he grasped my backside and positioned me to him to penetrate me deeply. His eyes focused on mine, as he stared at me, suddenly, he sat up and brought me with him, so I was straddling him on the side of the bed. Now I was in the position of control, as moved up and down on him. I threw my head back and moved faster and faster, my body becoming slick with sweat. "Slowly my lover, slowly," he whispered in my ear. I tried to control myself in my pace, but it was just too hard. Eric strained against me, and he held my hips in his hands, and guided me and together we found a rhythm that matched our eagerness to pleasure each other.

Afterwards, as I lay sated on the bed, Eric came back into the room, fully dressed. "Lover, I would like you to come to the bar tonight. Dress nicely, for it is an important evening." He kissed my forehead. "I have to go now, it's only an hour until dawn. I'll see you tonight." I nodded. He walked over to the bedroom window and launched himself out. I could feel the distance growing between us, as the miles stretched the blood bond thinner and thinner. Eric sent me one last parting visual, intimate of course, but it was of me – and how he saw me, blonde hair flying wildly around my face, lips parted, face flushed and breathing rapidly. _Freyja..._ he thought and then the image was gone, as I fell asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

_Anything I write or say in this story is for fictional purposes only, and is not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, or individual, or anyone or thing, especially those with the ability and desire to fight back or bite me. This story may inadvertently and occasionally become obscene, prurient, useless, hate-filled, poisonous, pornographic, frivolous, empty, rotten, bad, disgusting, hostile, repulsive, virulent, infectious… I cannot in any way condone, endorse or take responsibility for such content, it is probably due to a complete lack of coffee, sleep and sex. _

_While the storyline and what streams over the next few months are mostly mine - I owe the characters and the basis to which I am writing to Charlaine Harris, and I do not make any money or gain anything from doing this except the fantasizing as I wait impatiently for the next book to come out._

* * *

Chapter Six

I had a quandary... Word of the day calendar fed me that one, it meant a dilemma, or to put it simply – a good old fashioned problem. When I woke up early afternoon the day after my encounter with Eric, I initially felt the sated deep relaxation that can only be felt after a night of fantastic sex. But as I went through my normal routine that I performed upon waking, I felt more and more apprehensive that my actions last night might very well lead to some very severe problems for me. The more I thought about it, the more I felt that I might be rushing into something that may not end well for me. I frowned at myself in the mirror, as I brushed my teeth and then quickly rinsed out my mouth. Wiping down the countertop after I finished, I sighed.

It wasn't like I was the town tramp, but to go from one vamp to another. That's quite another thing. Most of the folks in Bon Temps normally didn't take too well to change. I'd been known for my virtue for years, and my innocence had had many a wager placed on it – believe me, I know – so to go from an chaste country girl, to a woman who has kept company with two different vampires in recent months, well most folks would think that indecent.

I sat at the kitchen table, drinking my coffee, and eating my toast and contemplated this for a while. On one hand, my personal business was my own. No one in Bon Temps had really taken me seriously, had thought me simple and peculiar, so for them to take notice of my life now, seemed kind of hypocritical. I came to the conclusion, that I was an adult, paying taxes, a registered voter and had never had so much as a speeding ticket – so who was I harming? No one, that's who. That being said, my heart felt a little lighter. I wasn't sure what Gran would think of this, but being that she had always trusted my judgement, I thought that she would be in my court on it. And just because I had reached this conclusion, didn't mean that I had to broadcast my personal life in the local newspaper, but it didn't mean I'd have to hide it either.

So Eric had said that he wanted me to look good for the evening at the bar. I wasn't sure, exactly what he had in mind – but I figured I could do him proud. I really enjoyed dressing up, and this was a good excuse to go see my friend Tara, at her boutique at the strip mall. I got dressed quickly, grabbed my keys and then stopped dismayed. My car was still parked at Jason's, with broken window. Well crap. I was just going to have to call someone to give me a lift over there, maybe Sam, or Terry Bellefleur, or even Maxine Fortenberry, if she wasn't busy. As I walked past the kitchen window to the living room, I noticed the sunshine glinting off glass in my front driveway. I usually parked around back, and I didn't hear anyone pull up, so I was a little confused about who could be in my driveway.

I opened the front door, and stood there shocked. My car, repaired, washed and waxed to a dull gleam, which is about as good as it gets, was standing there, as if it had never been gone. I walked over to it, and saw an envelope stuck under the windshield. I opened it up. It was an invoice from Trey Dawson, marked paid. It just simply showed a replacement window, installation labour and a detailing to remove the glass. Attached to the invoice was a post it, that said – _Hey Sookie, Mr. Northman from Shreveport said that you'd need your car today. I was able to pick it up from Jason's house last night, and get it done this morning. If you are looking for your keys, I dropped them off at Merlotte's on my way back to town. Mr. Northman told me not to wake you. Let me know if you have any problems with the installation. Trey._

Pleased as punch, was what I was. I was tired of vampires and their drama, but at the same time, it couldn't be said that they didn't clean up after themselves. Mr. Northman indeed...

So within 15 minutes, I was pulling into a parking spot in front of Tara's Togs. I walked into the store, and Tara was just finishing up with another customer. She waved at me, and I began to flip through the racks of clothes.

"Hey Sook, what's shaking." Tara grinned. She'd had a hard life, but she owned this shop, a neat little house in town and drove a reliable and fairly new car. She'd really come from a rough upbringing to make herself a good life.

"So you got anything to show me Tara?"

"I'm pretty sure I might be able to dig something up." Tara smiled mischievously. "I've got a few things, I'm sure. Come on and let's get you set up in a change room."

Later, after I had left Tara's Togs, I stopped by the grocery store to grab some milk and bread, and I ran into Hoyt Fortenberry, my brother Jason's best friend. He was hand in hand with Holly, my co-worker at the bar. Hoyt smiled warmly at me, but Holly gave only a partial smile.

"Hi Sookie. You working tonight?" She knew I wasn't, but I humoured the small talk, and told her I had the day off.

"How's your mother doing Hoyt? I haven't seen her in a coon's age." Maxine Fortenberry was one of my grandmother's lifelong friends, and although Maxine was a busybody, I sometimes missed having that element of my grandmother in my life. Hoyt said that his mother was fine and that I should stop by and see them sometime. Holly and he said good bye and moved on down the dairy aisle. I noticed that they were still hand in hand and that they seemed so happy and relaxed together. So normal.

I checked out, and continued contemplating what it would be like to have a normal relationship, as I walked to the car. Then I gave my head a shake. I wasn't normal, and I was never going to have a normal relationship. To make matters worse, I could hear vampire thoughts now, I might as well stop wallowing in the self pity, and thank the lord for my good health and relatively decent intelligence. He could have seen fit to give my brains a scramble while he was doling out the telepathy. Today wasn't a day to feel sorry for myself.

I headed home, and began to work on getting myself all dolled up. I took a shower, where I used apricot body wash on every inch of myself. I shaved, and washed my hair, taking extra care to condition it so it would be very soft. When I got out, I wrapped myself up in a thick towel, and set about painting my finger and toenails a pink coral. Then I plucked my eyebrows, and set about drying my hair. I finger combed it, and fluffed a little mousse through it, to keep down the frizzies in the Louisiana humidity. Then I brushed it through and blew it dry. When it was shining and straight, I began to put my make up on. Only lightly, because I had found that since I had consumed so much vampire blood recently; my skin had been very clear and bright. My hair too, come to think of it. I was the picture of health.

Back in my room, I pulled on the pale pink lace underwear that I had bought with the matching bra. It looked quite nice against my tan, and the bra was the demi sort, that wouldn't interfere with the neckline of my dress. Tara had picked out the dress for me, and it was a size 8. It was made of a silky material, with pink, blue, coral and deep purple colours blending throughout it, like the broad strokes of an artist's brush. It reminded me of a sunset, and it was sleeveless, and shirred at the waist, into a full skirt. It zipped up the back, and had a deep vee in both the front and the back. My bra was cut deeply enough to be hidden by the dress, but provide the support I needed to really fill this dress out. I loved it. It cost a little more than I wanted to spend, but it was worth it. I knew I would wear it again. I slipped on a pair of white peep toed heels, and grabbed a white bag. I looked in my closet and all I had to put over the dress was a white cardigan sweater, or my jacket. Neither seemed appropriate, but I sighed and grabbed the sweater. The night before had been chilly enough to put on a fire, so I might as well be prepared. The final touch was a thin gold chain, with a heart shaped locked that had belonged to my mother, and a pair of gold ball earrings. I spritzed on a little L'Air Du Temps and rubbed it behind my knees and at my pulse points. I was ready.

I grabbed my wallet, tucked it inside the purse and got ready to leave. I turned on a lamp in the living room, and locked the front door. It was dusk and I walked out the back door, to my car. It reminded me of the other night when the red haired vampire attacked me, but I actually made it to my car without being attacked.

I decided that since I was running a little early, I would stop by Merlotte's and pick up my spare set of keys. I walked in, and Sam was behind the bar. His eyes widened as he took in my outfit. I smiled in response.

"Wow, Sookie, you look really, well. Wow." Sam looked a little stunned, and I could see that he was trying to look appreciative and professional at the same time. "You have a date tonight?"

"I really don't know what you would call it Sam, I'm going to Shreveport to meet Eric, and I was told it was formal." I shrugged. "I like getting dressed up. So it shouldn't be completely wasted."

He looked at me, as if he wanted to say something. I couldn't get a read on Sam, shifters are really hard to read. He opened his mouth to say something, then seemed to change his mind. "Well have a good time. And Sookie, be careful okay?" He handed me my spare car keys and smiled at me.

"Thanks Sam. I'll see you on my next shift okay?" I glanced around the bar quickly saw a couple of regulars, and a couple that weren't, including a group of guys that were eyeballing me a not so gentleman fashion. It was time to leave.

On my way to Shreveport, I contemplated what the night could bring. The closer I got to Shreveport, the happier I began to feel. I knew that this was an effect of the blood bond I had with Eric, something that would make me feel happy when I was near him. At the same time, I felt a little nervous going to Fangtasia without Bill, he'd been my protector the last time I was there, and this time I was walking in alone. But Eric had invited me, surely he had to know what he was doing.

When I pulled into the parking lot, it was packed full of cars. There was a lineup to get in, and the people were mostly human, dressed in black, gothic like – some in capes, some even had gone so far as to paint little holes dripping blood on the sides of their necks. Pam was at the door, and when she spotted me, she waved me ahead of the line up. This was not popular with the natives. With a grumbling, they grudgingly let me through to the front of the line, and Pam embraced me as a friend.

"Sookie, you're looking well, certainly better than the last time I saw you." Pam was dressed in a black floor length gown, and had painted her nails and lips a blood red. She turned to a balding man, who had attempted to follow me in. "Back down from the door you worthless cur, before I show you what I can do with these." She let her fangs run down. The man blanched and backed unsteadily away.

"They like it when we talk to them that way." She smiled at me conspiratorially. She waved me in. "Eric is in there, at his table."

I weaved my way through the crowd, and saw Eric almost immediately. He was sitting with a dark haired man whose back was to me, and who he was speaking to intensely. I felt Eric's anger at something the man had said, and then as if he realised my presence, Eric looked up. He smiled at me, and his eyes roamed up and down my body, taking in the dress, the shoes - all of it. He smiled even broader, and his fangs ran out a bit. The dark haired man turned to me, and I took him in.

He was beautiful, a vampire obviously, but somehow different. He was old, almost papery looking, with haunting eyes, and full lips. His hands moved gracefully as he took a sip from his wine glass of True Blood.

Eric turned to me, and without a trace of a smile said, "Sookie, I would like you to meet my maker, Appius Livius Ocella."


	7. Chapter 7

_Anything I write or say in this story is for fictional purposes only, and is not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, or individual, or anyone or thing, especially those with the ability and desire to fight back or bite me. This story may inadvertently and occasionally become obscene, prurient, useless, hate-filled, poisonous, pornographic, frivolous, empty, rotten, bad, disgusting, hostile, repulsive, virulent, infectious… I cannot in any way condone, endorse or take responsibility for such content, it is probably due to a complete lack of coffee, sleep and sex. _

_While the storyline and what streams over the next few months are mostly mine - I owe the characters and the basis to which I am writing to Charlaine Harris, and I do not make any money or gain anything from doing this except the fantasizing as I wait impatiently for the next book to come out._

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Chapter seven

I just stared at Eric, stunned at what he had just said. I looked back to the older man, who was looking at me curiously. I was trying to wrap my head around the situation. Had Eric just introduced me to his Dad? I nodded, and decided to keep quiet, and just have a seat at the table, in the chair that had been pulled out for me. A waitress came over to me, and I ordered a gin and tonic. I thought I might need it.

"It's very nice to meet you, Mr. Umm..." I had no idea what to call Eric's maker. He nodded his head at me, in deference, and smiled.

"And you as well Ms. Stackhouse. I've heard many things about you, most of which were pleasant. You may call me Occella, as is customary." He had a light accent, foreign to the United States for sure. His eyes were dark, as was his hair, falling into a deep widow's peak, over a smooth and white forehead. I estimated his age when he died, to be around 35 years old, and if he had made Eric, he had most certainly been on earth for over a thousand. He was oddly beautiful, and obviously lethal.

"Sookie, Occella and I haven't seen each other in many years, perhaps even over a century." Eric looked over and Occella nodded, and waved a hand imperiously to indicate Eric should continue. "He's come to me for help with a situation that seems to have gotten out of hand for him. A kind of help that your telepathy would certainly assist with... Occella had heard that I had a telepath in my employ, and decided to make a trip to Shreveport in order to make your acquaintance and ask for my assistance." Eric looked at me intently. _'Sookie, be careful, remember that he is my maker, I have to defer to his requests. I have to obey him.'_

This was the first time that Eric had openly used the link that we had between us and it startled me. I tried hard not to let it show on my face, but Occella was not unaware that something had passed between us. It was frustrating, to just be able to receive, and not send the thoughts back to Eric. I had questions, and this was not unlike Eric's tendency to give commands, and expect me to obey without question. I was annoyed, and I didn't really care if it showed.

"Well, Mr. Occella, you're right I have done work for Eric in the past, but I am not employed by him, as he put it. I am a telepath, which is no longer a secret, but I have to tell you that the normal and polite way to ask someone for a favour is to just come right out and ask. I don't belong to Eric, and if I decide to help you on whatever errand you are here running, it will be because I want to help you, not because anyone told me to." Eric closed his eyes briefly, grimacing, then looked at me and shook his head in exasperation. "What say you tell me what you need me to do Mr. Occella and then I'll decide?"

Occella's face was unreadable, and he sat in silence for a moment, brooding perhaps, before he answered me.

"Well Miss Stackhouse, you are certainly a match for Eric, your wilfulness is admirable, although I do question its prudence considering the company you keep. However, that is neither here nor there. The true issue at hand is one which is near and dear to my heart. I don't know how much Eric has told you about his upbringing if you will, but so you understand, Eric was the first vampire I was able to create successfully. Usually a vampire will stay with its creator until the creator sees fit to release the vampire. I released Eric about six hundred years ago, although he must always come when I beckon." Occella, smiled at me, and I felt through a haze of indistinct emotions, that he felt pleased to inform me of this. His idea of how to antagonize me, I assume. "Once I released Eric, I travelled Europe alone for several decades, and then decided to come over to the Americas to see what all the fuss was about. I have lived in the north for the last 3 centuries, in relative peace, with a new vampire I created about 200 years ago."

I nodded politely, not really seeing where this was going. "This is all very interesting Mr. Occella, but I still fail to see where I come in."

"Well, the vampire I created, her name is Nayeli and she is missing. I care for her very much, and I fear that she is in danger. Usually a maker can feel his created vampires, as I can feel Eric, and vice versa. I feel her now, as we speak, which is how I know she is alive, but it's different. There is no draw to each other, and I haven't any idea on how to find her because that mechanism, or whatever it is that makes us be able to find one another, is missing." He looked at Eric. "I need to find her. She is very valuable to me, and I would be grateful if you would help out Miss Stackhouse. Of course, your travel and expenses would be paid for by me," he added.

I sat there thinking about what he had said. It seemed like Occella was genuinely concerned about his missing vampire, and wanted to find her. I could gauge that much from his thoughts and feelings, but he wasn't a strong broadcaster, and I couldn't tell if he was asking this as a favour because he cared for her, or if he had another agenda. I looked at Eric, who was staring down at his glass. His emotions were a cyclone of mixed emotions - exaltation that he was with his maker, confusion for feeling so happy about it and unhappiness that he was bringing me into this vampire arena again. I thought about how much I had been away from Bon Temps in the past year, and that made up my mind.

"Since I started doing freelance work for the vampires, I've had to take a lot of time off of my regular job in Bon Temps. I appreciate your offer of paying for my travelling and expenses, but I can't really afford to take the time off of work right now. I have bills to pay and property taxes to keep up. It's not really a good time." I shook my head apologetically at Occella.

A wave of rage blanketed me like a sheet of water, and I was stunned by its ferocity. I looked over at Occella, who seemed only moderately annoyed in his facial expression, but his eyes were seething with fury, and I was battered psychically by the intensity of the anger. I averted my eyes elsewhere and struggled to gain my composure, but the waves of rage continued to pummel me, and I began to feel faint. Eric took in the situation quickly, and because of the blood bond, knew that I was terrified, and confused by the mental assault I was getting from this outwardly calm vampire.

He looked apologetically at his maker, "Sookie is only just getting used to how we do things here Occella, and I really should have spoken to her in private before we made this request. Of course, Sookie, if you agree to go, I will pay you a wage for your time and efforts, I would happily do this in order to assist my maker in finding my sister." He took me by the arm, and stood me up. "Sookie and I are just going to go speak in my office for a moment, please Occella, make yourself comfortable and order whatever you would like, I'll send a waitress over in a moment."

The psychological assault had lessened as Eric continued to speak, but the echoes of it in my head ricocheted and I felt confused and wobbly, as Eric led me to his office. He deposited me on the leather couch, then began to pace. He stopped and kneeled down in front of me, and took my hands.

"Sookie, do you understand that Occella is my maker? If he gives me an order, I have to follow it? If he commands me to make you come with us to find Nayeli, I have no choice. Likewise, if he commands me to end your life, I will have to do it, no question." He looked desperate. "I tried to warn you about this. Occella has been a vampire for over three thousand years, in that time of living on earth, he has grown arrogant and brutal. Just because the vampires participated in the great revelation five years ago, doesn't mean that Occella buys into main streaming like the rest of us. He is eons older than the laws that have been created to bind the vampire."

He closed his eyes. "If you do not accept his request, and he orders me to kill you, I will have to follow his orders. I suggest you reconsider your denial of what he has asked for, and take it on as a job, with a wage paid to you, including your expenses and let your wisdom and self preservation win, instead of your bull headedness." He leaned forward and kissed me full on the lips. He cradled my face in his cool hands, and I looked into his beautiful eyes. "Sookie Stackhouse, you are a wonderful, strange and strong woman, but you really ought to trust me on this. Aside from that, we could be together, as we travel. Kind of like a romantic getaway." His lips traced a path down my neck as he spoke, and his hand slid up my thigh. I would not have had an issue with continuing this train of thought with Eric, but I was more than a little aware of an angry vampire waiting for us to return to his table with an answer.

"Eric, I really resent being manoeuvred into a situation that might be dangerous, no matter how wonderful it sounds to be alone with you for a few days. I understand that you are in between a rock and a hard place, but this is not something that I can enter into without your assurance that I'll be okay. Your maker, Occella, completely overtook my mind at the table there, you don't know what it was like, he was so angry, and Eric, it terrified me. I'm afraid for me, and I'm afraid for you." I looked at him, and I took his hand. "I don't want to do this, but if you tell me that this is the only solution to get him to leave us alone, then I will do it. I will have to trust you Eric." I put my arms around his neck and I hugged him. Vampires were normally not the hugging kind, but I felt Eric respond to my body being pressed against him, and we became occupied with other things for a few moments.

"Why did I have to get all dressed up tonight Eric? I can't believe you wouldn't have warned me about Occella last night."

"Believe it or not, I was taking you out this evening, but Occella showed up unexpectedly, so we will have to delay that lover. You do look good enough to eat though." He ran out his fangs and practically purred as he ran his lips down my neck again. "You smell so good."

"Umm Eric, don't you think that we ought to go out and let Occella know about what we've decided?" Eric groaned into my neck and pulled away.

"I suppose we should," and with that he grabbed my hand and lowered it to the substantial bulge below the belt of his pants. "But believe me lover, I will have you in that dress, and then out of it, as I had planned at some point during this trip." With that, he brought my hand back up to his lips and kissed it and we exited his office.

Nothing much had changed in the bar since we had left the room, and we walked back over to Eric's table where Occella was still sitting.

"Sookie has decided to assist you after all." I nodded, in agreement.

"Well Miss Stackhouse, I am glad to see you have decided to assist me in this. I will be grateful." And will that Occella stood up from the table and weaving his way through the crowd, he exited the bar.

I sat down at the table, and down my drink, in which all the ice had melted. A waitress immediately offered me another, but because I was driving, I declined. No matter what I did, it seemed as though since the vampires knew about my ability, I could try to stay out of trouble, but trouble would just up and find me anyway.


	8. Chapter 8

_This is the first time, I've written an introduction to a chapter, but this chapter was a difficult one for me to yank out of myself. I have an entire plotline mapped out, and I'm trying to make sure that all will make sense to you, loyal reader, when I continue my foray into this strange world of cross-over fanfiction. The only thing I have struggled with, is putting in gratuitous sex scenes, but at the end it won out, because I feel that the relationship between Sookie and Eric is a very passionate one, physically. I have decided that as long as I stay true to the plot and subplot, we'll continue to explore an avenue of the characters that demonstrates their affection for each other all the while showing how they cope with that in the face of the challenges they have yet to face. Hope you enjoy. – T._

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Chapter Eight

I stayed sitting at the table for quite some time after Occella had left. I sipped a glass of water with lemon that one of the waitresses had brought me. Eric, at my side, reigned over the bar, with the air of a lord, which I suppose he was. Occasionally, a human would come up to him, to speak to him, or ask for his autograph. He would imperiously sign whatever they were holding out with barely a glance at the person. Being that I worked in the industry, if you will, I enjoyed having this rare opportunity to observe the dynamics of the bar, watching the people and the vamps interact. It was also an opportunity to experiment with this new ability without being observed. I began to put feelers out towards the bar patrons.

I noticed that the interaction between humans and vampires was like a careful dance, but one that was injected in its every fibre with raw desire. The vampires were the suns, and the humans orbited them like a pulsating planets. Each party was aware of the other, although they all tried to give each other the impression that they weren't. I read that everyone in Fangtasia had an appetite, and it wasn't just a thirst for blood. It was like the shadow of bittersweet longing was being held over the entire area, with everyone denying themselves from shouting out what they really wanted. Some of the humans were there with desire to be turned to vampires themselves, some yearned money, some were vee addicts, and some were there with an appetite for adrenaline and the rush of being frightened. The vampires craved blood. Both humans and vamps alike were hungering for sex. It really was a dynamic environment, and it was very heady stuff for a small town girl like me.

Every once in a while, one of the visiting vampires would approach Eric, and he would have a brief conversation with them. One such vamp, by the name of Marin, came up to Eric with a petite human woman, and appealed to him with regards to some property he owned.

"Eric I've got a problem with the two new vamps that have moved here from Area 7." He pulled a stack of papers out of a briefcase. "They moved into one of my shaded apartments, and haven't paid me any rent. They refuse to leave, and they refuse to pay. When I threatened eviction, they said that they would harm Kathleen." He nodded towards the petite human that was with him. "She is my property manager and daylight business manager. I've got bills to pay Eric, but I can't get them out, my other tenants are starting to complain as well, and I'm afraid that they will move out. These vamps are older than me, and I really need some help on this."

Eric glanced at the papers, and nodded. "This would be Corrine and Daniel, correct?" Marin nodded. "Okay, I'll have Bobby Burnham file the proper papers in the courts tomorrow, and deliver a notice to them. If they still do not remit rent by the end of the week, we'll have one of our day help enter your building and remove their coffins to the vampire hostel on North Abington Avenue. We'll take care of changing the locks as well. You'll have to have your human rescind their invitation to enter, so they cannot return. I'll also make it clear that no one is to harm your human." He paused. "If I am not mistaken, I think that Corrine's master is Stan Davis. Perhaps I should give him a call, and let him know that his underling is misbehaving in my area..." Eric smiled. "Bobby can go over the arrangements Marin." He nodded towards Bobby Burnham, Eric's day help and Bobby stood up, and made a gesture towards Eric's office. Marin and Kathleen followed him.

Eric looked at me, and smiled. "It's not always exciting, but there is always something to do." He looked me over again. "So my lover, will you be returning to Bon Temps this evening or are you coming home with me? You do look good enough to eat." He raised one silky blonde eyebrow at me. "Perhaps this night won't be a complete waste."

I'd never been to Eric's house before. I thought about it briefly and couldn't come up with one good idea why I shouldn't. Then suddenly one hit me. "You do have a bed don't you Eric? I mean, I wouldn't have to sleep in your coffin, would I?" I shuddered at the thought.

Eric laughed, a seldom occurrence. "Of course my lover, my bedroom is set up for day sleeping; in fact the house is completely outfitted vampire-wise. But it is perfectly comfortable for a human. I even have some human food in the freezer."

"Well all right then, as long as you bring me back to my car tomorrow evening. I do have to work the day after tomorrow, so I will need to go back. Plus I have to explain to Sam about needing time off." I frowned at that. Sam wasn't going to be happy. I had taken a lot of time off of work lately. "When do you think we'll be leaving Eric?"

"I'm going to set it up that we leave at the beginning of next week. That gives me 4 days to tie up any loose ends around here and for you to arrange a passport. I assume you don't have one Sookie?"

"No I've never had any need to get one. I guess I'll have to get started on that right away. Why do I need a passport – I thought we were staying in the United States."

Eric grimaced. "Occella actually lives just over the border of the United States, in Canada and you need a passport to cross the border now. He prefers the longer nights and the cold doesn't bother us as it does you. It's actually quite a lovely place. Have you ever seen snow Sookie?"

"Only once, about 6 years ago, but it didn't stick to the ground and made things really muddy. It killed my Gran's roses, I still remember her out there, with my hair drier trying to dry off the rose petals so they wouldn't die." I smiled at the memory. "Did you want to leave soon Eric? I'm getting tired, and all of these people in here, are starting to hurt my head."

He turned his head, until he was looking at me full in the face. "Are you still hearing our thoughts Sookie?" I nodded, and he looked troubled. "You must not let anyone know that you can hear us Sookie. It is one thing to be able to hear humans, it is quite another to hear the vampire's thoughts. You would be dead before you hit the floor." I knew he was right, and it frightened me. When Occella became angry earlier in the night, I had had a hard time controlling myself in the onslaught of his rage.

I nodded at Eric. "I know, and I'll be careful."

"I know you will Freyja, and I'll be watching." He took my chin and raised it up, but didn't kiss me. His eyes filled with heat. "Maybe we should leave. I have a gift for you in my office, and it looks as though I still have a package to unwrap myself."

"Why do you call me Freyja Eric?"

"It's just a nickname for you my lover. Something from a very long time ago, in my childhood." With that, he stood up and took my hand, and led me back to the office. There was a back exit off the office, and Eric usually parked behind the bar. He nodded to Pam that he was leaving, and she bobbed her head back at him. In his office, he reached into a closet, and pulled out a small flat package, wrapped in foil. He didn't hand it to me, but we continued out the door to his car.

His car was a corvette, red and glossy in the sodium lights. He clicked the alarm off, and we got in, he put the package at the floor by my feet. He started it and the engine growled to life, and we left Fangtasia. I had been in Shreveport several times, but I had never really ventured beyond the main shopping and restaurants, so I enjoyed seeing a different area of town. We continued into a subdivision that looked relatively new, then to a gated community. There was a guard at a podium, with a lift gate. Eric stopped, and looked at the guard, who nodded him and raised the gate. We drove about two blocks and parked in front of a large brick two story home. Eric pressed a button on a remote on his visor, and the garage door opened, and we drove in. The door closed smoothly behind us, and he shut off the car.

Suddenly he was on me, his hands everywhere, grasping and his mouth tracing lines across my lips and throat. He lifted my skirt and roughly pushed my underwear aside, and pushed his fingers inside of me. He shoved down the strap on my dress, and took one breast into his mouth, while his fingers rubbed against me both inside and out. I gasped, and ran my hands up and down the sides of his arms, pressed against the door of the car, and suddenly in a rush, I came, arching my back and giving sharp moans of pleasure, throwing my head back. He nipped my nipple, and I cried out and raked my nails across his back and through his shirt. He slowly pulled his fingers out, and straightened out my underwear. Pulling my strap back across my shoulder, he gave me a heated look.

"I've been waiting for that all night." He reached to my feet and picked up the package, and I got out of the car, on shaky legs. I felt the dampness in my panties, and I shivered in anticipation of the night we had ahead of ourselves. I felt like a kid in a candy store.

Eric's house was totally unexpected. I had always had this idea in my head, that it would be beige on beige, with little personality. Instead, it was vividly decorated in a hue of colours, and furnished in heavy comfortable furniture, adequate enough to hold Eric's tall frame. There were beautiful pieces of art hanging on the walls, and a glass shelf of eclectic items, like a sword in an intricate sheath and a roughly hewn piece of rock with a large fiery opal jutting from its dull surface. His coffee table held a book on evolution of vampiric laws since the great revelation, and a gas fireplace was ready to be turned on. His kitchen was small, as most vampire kitchens were but there was a coffee pot, thank god, and it was clean. All of the windows had shutters, but they were open right now, allowing the cooler night air to come into the house.

He stood at a desk for a moment, scanning through a letter that had been left there for him, and then fixed his gaze on me once again.

"So are you going to open it or what?" He nodded towards the gift that he had placed on an end table.

"So what's this for Eric? It's not my birthday." I picked up the gift.

"I just saw it and thought of you." He smiled. So I began to unwrap the pretty foil paper.

Inside was a peach satin robe, with white lace edging on it. When I saw it, I thought that it was pretty typical of a guy to buy me lingerie, but then I realised that this wasn't your typical lingerie. It was quite chaste, in my mind, and it was of high quality, the satin glowing with an inner light and the weave thick and heavy. The lace looked to be hand done, and the length was mid-calf. It was lovely.

"Thank you Eric. I love it. You really shouldn't have, but I sure will enjoy it." I pressed the silky material against my cheek. He looked pleased.

"Come here lover, I want you to try it on." He walked over to me and took my hand.

He turned me around, and began to unzip my dress. It fell in a puddle of chiffon on the floor, and I stood there in my white heels and pink lace under things. He inhaled contentedly.

"You smell so good." He reached around and unsnapped my bra with one hand, while the other began to push down my panties. I stood there, in only my heels and let him look at me. I began to feel uncomfortable, so I kicked off my shoes, and reached for the robe. I slipped its silky loveliness over my shoulders, and tied it at the waist with its belt. It felt wonderful. I walked over to a mirror, and preened. I loved it.

Eric came up behind me. "I want to do things for you Sookie. I like it when you are happy and I enjoy buying you pretty things." With that, Eric the tough Viking, picked me up bridal style, and walked towards the back of his house all the while, kissing me deeply.

His bedroom was about as I expected, painted a dark sapphire blue, with no windows, and a large bed dominating the center of the room. His sheets were a deep blood red, and he had a proliferation of pillows lined up against the headboard. The bed was made, and there was no sign of clutter.

He laid me down on the bed and came to stand beside me and undress. I sat up, and reached for him.

"No let me do that." I unbuckled his belt and pants, and pushed them down. I stood up, and lifted his shirt over his head. I traced a path down his chest with my tongue, and paused at each nipple to give it a little nip. He gasped, and dug his hands through my hair, which I was glad I had worn loose. I drew a line with my tongue down his magnificent chest, until I reached him. I tasted that part of him, and looked inquiringly up at him. He was watching me with smouldering eyes, and I could tell that he was onboard with what I had in mind. I took him fully in my mouth, and he groaned and began to move his hips. I traced the tip with my tongue, and continued to move up and down his shaft. He made a sound and began to move faster, and I kept up with him, until he finally released himself within my mouth and with a shudder withdrew. I excused myself to his ensuite bathroom and tidied myself, and came back to the bedroom. Eric had lain down on the bed and I appreciated the view for a moment, before I removed my robe and climbed in beside him. I put my head against his cool chest, and he wrapped his arm around my back.

"Sookie, I want you to be very careful what you say and do around Ocella. I don't want him to know that you can hear vampire thoughts, but if I need to communicate something to you, I will try to send you what I'm thinking." He paused for a moment. "Is that how that works for you? I can send you something on purpose, and you would hear it in your head?"

"It's not always like that Eric. Most people don't think in sentences, I just get feelings and impressions from people. But every once in a while, I get a full deliberate thought, and those are usually the ones that come at me the loudest. Did you want to try it?"

We played around with my ability for a bit. He "sent" a thought at me, and I paraphrased it back to him vocally. He thought of images and words, and I would receive them and translate back to him. Eventually the images and thoughts took a turn towards an arena that was a little more heated, and I found myself being kissed languidly, while his hands roamed my body.

"Are you sure you can this soon Eric?" He smiled, and guided my hand down to him. He sure could.

He slowly moved on top of me, all the while kissing me deeply. He slid his hands under my lower back, and positioned me to underneath him, still kissing me. He slid into me, and I moaned into his mouth, and we rocked back and forth, as he slightly lifted me to him each time he slid into me. I wrapped my legs around his waist, and he nibbled at my lips. I began to feel a wave of pleasure coming at me, and I breathed harder and harder, and then I came, bucking my hips against him, as he kissed my neck and continued to plunge inside me.

Once my shuddering had ceased, he withdrew from me and turned me over. I wasn't sure what he was about to do, because this wasn't a position that I had tried very often with Bill, and I was a little unsure, Eric was so big. He lifted me slightly to my knees and whispered to me to relax. He pushed himself into me from behind, and began to slide in and out slowly. This was a new kind of pleasure, I felt as if he was reaching an inner core of me, and I began to pant, and strangely think of leaves rustling on trees. I could hear their white noise, as he continued to push himself in and out of me. He grasped my shoulders to pull me to him harder and began to speed up, propelling himself with a frenzy that left me breathless. I took some of the pressure off my hands, and began to push back to him, and he moaned and took hold of my breasts as I sat up, and continued to meet his thrusts. He was as deep inside of me as he could get without surgery, and I was peaking again, meeting him, striving to keep up, as he pounded me relentlessly and the white noise roared in my ears. I shook my hair aside, and he lowered his mouth to my neck. As I came again, he bucked his hips, and sank his fang into my neck, the blood running down the sides of my shoulders. His hands held me to him like iron manacles and he shuddered as he came. With our release, he withdrew from me, and we fell back to the bed. He languidly licked the two punctures on my neck to heal them.

"That was perfect, just perfect. Ahh Freyja I always knew it would be like this with you." He spoke in my ear. I yawned and smiled. I was sore, but I was definitely satisfied. Sex with Eric was like a delicacy, and I could definitely handle a few more gourmet sessions, just not tonight. "Get some sleep lover, you have a lot of work to do tomorrow, this trip is going to be a lot of work, I fear."

I caught a wave of emotion come off of Eric, and so I asked him, "Eric are you worried about this trip? I wish you would talk to me."

He was silent for a moment, and then said, "I would be lying if I told you I wasn't worried. Occella is not like the vampires you've met around here Sookie. He doesn't respect what the great revelation was meant to do. He has no respect for the laws, and he doesn't care about humans. He's very old, on top of that. We will have to be very careful. He found out about your ability from so far away, and the fact that he learned of my affection for you so quickly, means that someone is watching me for him. He will use that knowledge to get what he wants Sookie. I would like to learn who this spy is"

I pondered that in my head for a while, but I was also very tired. I drifted off to sleep in his arms, and as I did, he kissed me. At least, for now, before we travelled to visit Eric's vampire maker father, to find his kidnapped 'sister' in a country that was foreign to me, I could have this one normal night. I laid my head against his cool unbreathing chest, and listened to the nothingness emanating from his heart. Yep, without a doubt, completely normal.


	9. Chapter 9

_Anything I write or say in this story is for fictional purposes only, and is not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, or individual, or anyone or thing, especially those with the ability and desire to fight back or bite me. This story may inadvertently and occasionally become obscene, prurient, useless, hate-filled, poisonous, pornographic, frivolous, empty, rotten, bad, disgusting, hostile, repulsive, virulent, infectious… I cannot in any way condone, endorse or take responsibility for such content, it is probably due to a complete lack of coffee, sleep and sex. _

_While the storyline and what streams over the next few months are mostly mine - I owe the characters and the basis to which I am writing to Charlaine Harris, and I do not make any money or gain anything from doing this except the fantasizing as I wait impatiently for the next book to come out._

* * *

Chapter Nine

It was cool on the Anubis Charter jet, and I was glad that I had thought to bring a sweater. I slipped it on, and looked out the window, but all I could see were clouds. There was one other human on the jet with us, a middle aged male, and he was asleep, with his head lolling against the window of his seat, two rows behind me and on the other side of the plane. He had nodded to me, when we first boarded, but had immediately fallen asleep when we took off. I was sitting towards the front of the plane, and the crew had offered me a drink when we first arrived. All in all the Anubis airline was definitely made for vampire comfort and not human comfort, but it was adequate – after all I wasn't paying for it. Eric and an unknown vampire were in day mode, as I liked to think of it, and were in their coffins, secured to coffin bays in the rear of the small jet.

It wasn't like I was going on a vacation, I kept telling myself, but yet I found myself a little excited because it was just me and Eric travelling, and no entourage as we would normally have had. Pam had made a bit of a fuss when Eric had told her that we would be going alone, and she would have to remain to run the bar, but Eric stopped that by telling her that he would bring her back a fabulous pair of pink boots from up north. I had gone, on his instructions and purchased some warmer clothing, including a heavy wool coat, gloves and a hat. I had used the computer at Fangtasia to pull up the weather for where we were going, and had found that it was quite chilly, and the possibility of snow in the forecast. I was excited to see a different country, and hoped that it wouldn't be all business.

Sam was a different matter. I had gone in to speak to him, about taking yet, some more time off – but he was already aware of it. Eric, Mr. High and Mighty, had already made arrangements for a temporary waitress to come in and cover my shifts, as well as promising Sam a case of Canadian Whiskey, he would have shipped to him sometime during our travels. Eric had rolled his eyes at me when he said this to me, and I resisted the urge to slug him in the shoulder. This was my life he was taking privilege with, and he just didn't seem to get it.

Sam had just looked at me, unsmiling and solemn, and questioned whether I knew what I was doing, getting involved with the vampires to this extent, yet again, and I had told him not to worry, that Eric would watch out for me. He had remained silent, but given me a fierce hug that betrayed his poker face. I had locked up my house, and had arranged to have the mail picked up by Terry Bellefleur and left Bon Temps which was really my first international job assignment as telepath for the vamps.

We landed in Buffalo, New York, and when we disembarked, I was immediately struck by the temperature change. I had brought my wool coat onboard with me, but it didn't prepare me for the way that the wind whipped across the tarmac and stole my breath from my mouth. My hair whipped across my face, and I immediately felt my cheeks redden. I hurried towards the hanger, where the Anubis usually unloaded the vamp's coffins, and heaved a sigh of relief when I was out of the biting wind.

Checking my watch, I saw that it was nearly 6:00 pm, and that the dusk was approaching. I knew that Occella had arranged for a car to take us across the border after Eric awoke. The coffin was a rental that would remain with Anubis and I assumed that Occella had a day place for Eric to sleep. I saw a man standing to the side near a black car, and he motioned to me to come over. An attendant was already loading our luggage into the trunk of the running vehicle. I walked over to Eric's coffin and ran my hand over the smooth composite. He would awaken at any minute.

"Ms. Stackhouse?" The driver looked at me, and then a clipboard he was holding. "I assume that Mr. Northman and you have all of the proper border credentials?"

I nodded, as the hinged lid of the coffin swung open and Eric sat up. He looked around, and breathed deeply. He acknowledged the driver with a nod, and jumped out of his sleeping place.

"How was the flight lover?" He kissed me lightly on the top of the head.

I said it was fine, and then glanced towards the car, it was a monstrous shiny thing, with deep tinted windows and a black jacketed driver. Although Eric was wearing nothing more than a long sleeved t-shirt, the cold didn't bother him. I, on the other hand, was shivering like there was no tomorrow, and anticipating the pleasant interior of a heated vehicle.

Soon enough we were on our way. We didn't speak much, although Eric occasionally held my hand, as he worked his way through the barrage of emails on his Blackberry, and called a few people with about his businesses back in Louisiana. I was busy watching out the window, although I was disappointed in the fact that other than it being very cold, I wasn't seeing much different than what I saw in the bigger cities of Louisiana. We approached the large bridge that crossed the river between the U.S. and Canada, and we were advised by the driver to have our credentials ready.

Eric smiled at me, "This is the first time I've ever crossed with a passport. I usually just fly over. It's much easier than dealing with customs." I figured that we were doing this solely because of me, and I felt a little bad for causing so much trouble.

He leaned over to me, and whispered in my ear so softly that I could barely hear it. "I would have liked to have been awake for the flight lover. I might be old, but I am not a member of the mile high club. Perhaps we can book an overnight flight on the way back." He winked at me suggestively and I rolled my eyes at him.

The border guards examined our passports and asked what business we had in Canada, before allowing us to be on our way. The first thing I noticed, was that as soon as we had travelled but a short distance out of the city and away from the spanning bridge, we were in what felt like the country, but for the large highway intersecting it. The driver sped along, knowing where he was going, and we were only driving for about fifteen minutes on the highway, when he took a road heading south. We travelled on this road briefly, before turning onto a narrow side street, and pulled into the circular driveway of a large wood framed home, that looked to stretch back on the wooded property. The lights were blazing, and there was a black BMW parked in front of the two car garage. I noticed a dusting of snow on the windshield, and I became excited.

"Eric do you think it will snow?" I looked hopefully into the sky, and saw nothing but stars.

He just smiled at me, and I grinned back. Maybe this trip wouldn't be so bad after all. I was a little reluctant to leave the confines of the warm car, and as soon as the driver opened the door, the bitter windswept in. I took a deep breath, and pulled my coat around me, and fastened it up to the neck. Stepping out, Eric looked up the sky and closed his eyes.

"This reminds me of where I am from. It is crisp and clean, you can't imagine, the beauty Freyja." His eyes were focused on something that only he could see, when a beam of light fell over us, and I heard a familiar voice call out to us.

"Miss Stackhouse, Eric, how good of you to join me." Ocella smiled. As if we had much of a choice. Eric felt my annoyance, and gave me a light elbow to the arm, that was sure to leave a bruise the next day. "Bring in the bags please, right this way, right this way."

And we entered the lair of the dragon.

_Thank you Charlaine Harris, for your wonderful characters and storylines. They are not property of mine, but rather of hers, copyrighted and owned._


	10. Chapter 10

_Anything I write or say in this story is for fictional purposes only, and is not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, or individual, or anyone or thing, especially those with the ability and desire to fight back or bite me. This story may inadvertently and occasionally become obscene, prurient, useless, hate-filled, poisonous, pornographic, frivolous, empty, rotten, bad, disgusting, hostile, repulsive, virulent, infectious… I cannot in any way condone, endorse or take responsibility for such content, it is probably due to a complete lack of coffee, sleep and sex. _

_While the storyline and what streams over the next few months are mostly mine - I owe the characters and the basis to which I am writing to Charlaine Harris, and I do not make any money or gain anything from doing this except the fantasizing as I wait impatiently for the next book to come out._

* * *

Chapter Ten

The driver deposited our bags on the floor in the front hallway, and quickly left. I felt rather than heard the unspoken dismissal, and I smirked. I never had had a life where I was entitled to drivers and maids and expensive cars and I found all of this very artificial, and I thought it snotty as hell. Eric felt my emotions through our bond and sighed, but he led me into the house, where I was quickly divulged of my coat by a small man in a white turtleneck and black pants. He nodded at us, and acknowledged us with a quick, "Miss Stackhouse, Mr. Northman", and then he briskly walked in towards the rear of the house, where lights were burning brightly.

We walked through a short hallway, attractively, yet impersonally decorated. A set of stairs wound up to the right, in an elevated curve, and reminded me of some of the southern style staircases of the old south. The hallway opened into a room, where Occella sat in a wing back chair in front of a fireplace, and I stifled a laugh, because it reminded me of a show that my Gran used to watch called Masterpiece Theatre. Occella was missing the smoking jacket and pipe, other than that we were all set. I stifled back another giggle and Eric shot a warning glance at me. I felt it was so melodramatic, but then I realise that I ought to tone down my behaviour. I was from the south, we were known for our manners – and I was raised better than that. I sucked up the will power to be polite, and I smiled at Occella. Maybe smiling was stretching it, but darn it, I tried.

Occella waved us towards a loveseat set up opposite of the chair he was sitting in. I sat closest to the fire, and held my hands in front of them, appreciating the warmth. I took in the room, furnished traditionally, with books and lots of leather. Men's club room all the way. Break out the cigars.

"I trust your flight was uneventful?"

When we both nodded, Occella seemed satisfied. "Well I thought we would have a bite for dinner, no pun intended Miss Stackhouse, and then get down to business."

He made some sort of undecipherable signal and the turtle necked man appeared from nowhere. "I had thought perhaps you could show Miss Stackhouse to her room? She probably would like to freshen up after travelling, most ladies do." He looked back at Eric. "Eric we should probably discuss a few matters."

I looked queringly at Eric, who nodded at me to go, so I stood up and followed the man back towards the staircase I had seen earlier. As we ascended the stairs, I heard the low murmuring of their voices. We walked down a another hallway, lined with doors, which were all shut. At the last door, Turtleneck stopped and opened. He motioned for me to go inside.

"I have taken the liberty of placing your bags in your room Miss Stackhouse. Mr. Occella has had a variety of toiletries purchases and placed into the bathroom. My name is Conrad, and if you require anything else, please do not hesitate to ask for it."

I wondered if I was supposed to tip him or not, but he quickly left the room, closing the door behind him.

I looked around the room, which was very tastefully decorated, but again like downstairs held no insight into the owner of the home. It had a large bed, in the center of the room, with a heavy wooden headboard and footboard, night tables on both sides and a large dresser with a mirror against one wall. A desk and chair were against a wall of windows, and I saw that there was an internet connection available. There were two doors, which I opened. One revealed a moderately sized closet, and the other had an adjoining bathroom. The room was painted a soft green colour, and the floors were wooden plank, with a thick area rug in the middle. It had non-descript artwork and the curtains overhung dark wooden shutters that covered the windows fully.

I walked over to one of the windows, and discovered that I could see a body of water beyond the trees. I decided that I would take Occella's advice and freshen up. I felt a little gritty from travelling and my skirt and blouse were definitely more than a little wrinkled. I unpacked my newly purchased clothing from Tara's Togs, and a small upscale boutique in Shreveport and hung them neatly in the closet. I put my under things into the drawers of the dresser, and then store my suitcase under the bed. Eric's suitcase wasn't in my room, so I assumed that Occella's plans didn't involve Eric and me sleeping together. I didn't know whether the shutters were light proof so I guess it was probably for the best for Eric to stay in a light-proof area, if it was available.

I took a hot shower, thankful for its warmth, as I had gotten a slight chill and hadn't been able to shake it since we had exited the plane. I washed my hair thoroughly, and quickly washed up. I didn't want to be too long. I wrapped myself in a thick white towel and availed myself to the assortment of cosmetics, lotions and powders that had been placed on the counter top. I towel dried my hair and walked out of the washroom. I chose a pair of white satin panties, and matching bra. It wasn't sexy, but looked really nice against my tan, and more than that – it was comfortable. The way things were looking, I didn't feel that Eric and I would be spending that much romantic time together anyhow. I pulled on a pair of brown wool pants, and a cream cable knit sweater, made of cotton, with a vee in the front, that was just at the border of being too revealing, and could easily cross into slut zone if it had been any deeper. I blow dried my hair, and decided not to wear any jewellery tonight.

I went back into the bedroom, and took a deep breath. It was time to go downstairs. I stepped out into the hallway, and closed the door behind me. I took my time, looking at the artwork, and descended the stairs. I heard voices, speaking lowly in the library, where Occella had been sitting before. I walked back into the room, and both vampires looked up at me.

"Ahh Miss Stackhouse, you look lovely. Good enough to eat." He grinned wickedly at me, showing a fair amount of fang. Eric glowered, but said nothing.

"Now you be polite, I'm here to help you, but I will march my butt back over to that airport and go on home, if you don't stop that." I wasn't angry, but I thought it best to let him know right away that I wasn't going to put up with any of his vamp bullshit.

Eric glanced at me; his lips pressed tightly together no hint of a smile on his face. Occella, looked at me and motioned for me to have a seat. He looked a little chastised, but maybe I was just kidding myself.

"My apologies Miss Stackhouse, I must admit, that living alone has made me deficient in my manners. Please forgive me." He smiled, no fang this time, so I nodded my head in acceptance. "I guess, we should get to dinner, and I'll explain to you what I know, and what I've guessed about the disappearance of Nayali." He stood up. "Shall we retire to the dining room?"

Eric and I stood up, and we made our way into the next room, a large dining room, dominated by a large rectangular table. It was laid out very nicely, with a white cloth and white china, everything gleaming and clean. Conrad stood by against a swinging door, and moved to pull my chair out for me as we entered. I sat beside Eric, and Occella, occupied the head of the table, of course.

A young woman dressed similarly to Conrad came walking out with a silver tray with what looked like soup for me, and a large crystal carafe full of what looked like blood for Eric and Occella. Conrad offered me wine, but I declined. I decided I should stick with water. Eric and Occella drank liberally from the glasses; they both smacked their lips with obvious enjoyment, while I ate my mushroom soup.

"Canadian Ruby Blend is quite good, actually the preferred choice here. You can get True Blood up here too, but like wine and spirits, the Canadian government controls all sales of it and receives all profits. It's sold at specialty stores, and they naturally feel it prudent to make sure that we vampires have a variety that we will spend money on. As a result they've come up with some quite good blends, some all synthetic, some only partially. They've made great strides with one blend that is made in a very similar method to how they create ice wine, Eric we'll try some this evening. The whole process is quite interesting actually. I've made some investments in that arena, amongst others." Occella swirled his blood around his glass like a connoisseur. Conrad and the as yet unidentified young woman brought out another round of "food", a steaming plate of what looked to be chicken and rice, and two more glasses of blood for Eric and Occella.

Occella took another sip, and looked over at me curiously. "How much do you know of me Miss Stackhouse?"

"Well, Mr. Occella, to be honest, although I knew obviously that Eric had to have a maker, I really didn't know that you were still alive. I mean Eric's a pretty old vampire." I took another bite of my chicken and rice, it was really quite yummy, and it was helping to soothe the butterflies that I was getting in the pit of my tummy.

"So, then you don't really know much about Eric's nest mate Nayeli or what we do here?" He looked at Eric, his face unreadable, and Eric shook his head.

"Well, Miss Stackhouse, perhaps I should give you some background. Nayeli and I own several homes in the area, which are primarily used as summer residents for tourists by a weekly rental basis. The casinos and horse tracks around this area, give quite the boost to people who rent clean, decent cottages near the lake. Have you ever seen Lake Erie?" I shook my head. "Well no matter, it's there; perhaps you can walk to it, during the day while we rest. Mind you it's quite cold, and is beginning to freeze over, so I would advise not going past the break wall."

"Anyways, we also dabble in a few other smaller businesses, mostly catering to the tourist trade, some customs brokering as well as investing in some of the smaller entrepreneurs in the area. We do quite well, in fact, without sounding too audacious about it; we are quite successful at what we do. But there is a secret to this, and as old as I am as a vampire, I am embarrassed to admit it."

I looked at him sceptically; I doubted that Occella could be embarrassed by much.

"Nayeli is the vivid talent behind my success. She is organized and a ruthless business person. She has ideas that never would have crossed my mind. Perhaps it is the age of me, that limits me, or perhaps I am just not good at this, but she is the one who has come up with most of our most profitable ideas." He sipped again. Eric remained silent at my side.

"A few months ago, she began to have dealings with some of the more unsavoury characters around this area. They were made up of humans, a couple of vampires, and mostly werewolves. I didn't like it, but she's so headstrong, so intent on the challenge, she loves the power of success, and she is extremely focused. Perhaps I indulged her too much, but she delights in it and that in itself is a treat for me."

"You love her," I said nodding. He looked slightly distressed, but then sighed and nodded.

"Yes I suppose I do, as much as I can anyhow. I would say it's more like the discovery of a rare relic in her. She amuses me, and to take pleasure in that in stage of my existence is... Well, I just never thought that I..." He trailed off.

I stared uncomfortably at my plate, and wondered if I should say something to ease the uncomfortable silence. Eric squeezed my hand, and then did me the favour.

"So do you have any idea who may have taken her? Has anyone come forward to claim responsibility?" He leaned forward. "Occella, we appreciate you telling us this, but it's not really getting to what you do know about who might have taken her."

Occella looked up, his eyes very red. Conrad and the young woman came out and cleared my plate. They offered me coffee, and I accepted. Occella asked for a glass of Blood Ice for both he and Eric, and I shuddered.

"I had a few weres come to me about a month ago, and ask me to provide them with unlimited access to my customs brokers. They had some vee that they wanted to smuggle across the border from some supplier, and I had the means to get this supply over to where they wanted it. The United States has so many more people, and they can sell it in every city, anywhere. They wanted to use my businesses to get this done. Well of course, I am not going to cooperate with vee dealers, and I threatened to report them to the Authority. Things got very ugly, and at the conclusion of the arguing, I killed the four weres who had come to speak to me. A few days later, Nayeli went missing, and I found a vial of vee in her car, sitting on the dashboard, wrapped in a red ribbon, with one of her fangs strung on a silver chain attached." He sighed. "I immediately knew that the weres had her."

I could feel Occella through the blood bond I had with Eric and I could tell that he meant it when he said that he cared for here – but I could also tell that he wasn't telling us everything. I wasn't going to mention that now. Eric squeezed my hand again.

"I just thought, Miss Stackhouse – that you could maybe listen to a few key people surrounding this and maybe be able to find out something. It's not right for me to allow them to barbarically dismember her, and drain her and..." He trailed off again. A crimson tear ran down his face. Eric looked at me, alarm showing in his eyes. He shook his head mutely at me, and I said nothing back. I could feel his apprehension, and I could sense that his anxiety level was going up, more and more – with each additional minute that we sat there.

Eric thought directly at me._ "Don't say anything Sookie. He's not right. There is something very wrong here. Occella, my maker, the Occella I knew, would never, ever react this way this type of situation. He's over two thousand years old, he's acting like he's only decades old. I cannot predict how's he's acting. It's like I do not know my maker Sookie."_ He looked over at Occella who was still staring moodily into his glass of blood.

To me he seemed like he was utterly devoted to Nayeli and I thought it was romantic that he wanted to find her so badly. I made a decision right then and there.

I put my hand over his cool one and he looked up at me, with red rimmed eyes. "We'll find her for you, okay? Don't you worry about it." Maybe it was wrong, that wasn't afraid of him, but I wanted to get him a box of Kleenex and just tell him to let it all out. Eric stared at me with eyebrows raised.

"Occella, do you think that it would be all right if Eric and I went upstairs and talked for a while? I mean it was a really lovely dinner, and I thought perhaps you'd like to be alone for a moment to collect your thoughts." I smiled at him. "I really am quite tired, I've been up since very early this morning, and with all the travelling I am ready for bed."

Occella looked up at me, his eyes cloudy and dull. "Very well Miss Stackhouse, I shall see you tomorrow evening. When you wake up in the day tomorrow, Conrad will see to anything you need, and Brenda has all the information I've been able to glean from the authorities and other sources about this pack." I tried my best not to think of what the "other sources" might be. With that, he stood up, and with his glass of Blood Ice, exited the room, back towards the library.

Eric knocked back the rest of his blood, and then looked at me expectantly. "I think we ought to talk lover." I nodded in agreement. "But not here, perhaps you could show me your room?"

I took his hand and led him towards the stairs. I laughed, and thought of how little talking we'd probably get done, as seemed to be the case whenever we got near a bed. As it turns out, I was right.


	11. Chapter 11

_Anything I write or say in this story is for fictional purposes only, and is not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, or individual, or anyone or thing, especially those with the ability and desire to fight back or bite me. This story may inadvertently and occasionally become obscene, prurient, useless, hate-filled, poisonous, pornographic, frivolous, empty, rotten, bad, disgusting, hostile, repulsive, virulent, infectious… I cannot in any way condone, endorse or take responsibility for such content, it is probably due to a complete lack of coffee, sleep and sex._

_While the storyline and what streams over the next few months are mostly mine - I owe the characters and the basis to which I am writing to Charlaine Harris, and I do not make any money or gain anything from doing this except the fantasizing as I wait impatiently for the next book to come out._

Chapter Eleven

I awoke the next morning to the sound of wind rushing past the eaves of the house. It was toasty warm under my blanket and comforter, and I knew that I was alone in bed, proving right my theory that Ocella must have a hidey hole for he and Eric to slumber in during the day. I stretched and looked at my watch, that I had placed on the nightstand the night before, and ran over the events of the previous night. I put on my slippers, and grabbed my robe shrugging off a chill. I decided to take advantage of the room thermostat on the wall by the door and cranked up the heat a bit. I was after all, a southern girl in heart, body and mind – and this chilly true winter weather was making me ache.

Something wasn't sitting right with me with the way that Occella was acting. I was really afraid that he was not right, because he wasn't acting like a normal vamp. It made me feel really nervous, like he was swinging from one end of the emotional spectrum to another – it was unpredictable, and I felt it a bad omen. I figured that the best way to make use of the some of the daylight hours was to do some sightseeing, and to maybe talk to Conrad and his helper in the kitchen. I sure hoped they had coffee.

Since I'd showered the night before, I figured that I would wait until before the vamps got up to shower and get ready, since I didn't know what the agenda was for this evening. I threw on a pair of jeans and a white turtleneck (a little tight in the boob area, but oh well) and a pink cardigan sweater that came down below my butt. With thick socks on my feet, I whipped my hair upside down and brushed it until it crackled. Slicking it back into a tight ponytail, I felt right comfortable enough to do a multitude of things – but first thing on my mind was whether there was any coffee to be had in Dracula's castle.

I padded down the stairs towards the dining room we had eaten in last night. I assumed that the door off that room had to lead to the kitchen, as I had heard the clinking of glasses being washed last night after our dinner behind that door. Thankfully, as I entered the dining room, I smelled the tantalizing scent of coffee, and I pushed open the swinging door to the kitchen calling out a hello before I did.

Conrad was sitting at a counter top kitchen breakfast bar, with a laptop open and a sheaf of papers beside him, talking on a cell phone. Brenda was at a small table, likewise with a laptop. Both smiled at me when I walked in, and Conrad held up one finger as he continued his conversation. He looked meaningfully at Brenda, and indicated that he was going into the other room to take the phone call. Brenda stood up and went to a full coffee pot and poured me one. Cream and sugar were on the table, and after I took a sip I figured now was as good a time as any to earn my keep and I sat down across from Brenda at the table.

"Sookie Stackhouse," I said, holding out my hand, and dropping my shields. "Pleased to meet you. I don't think we were properly introduced last night."

"Brenda Reeb," she said, shaking my hand and smiling. "No, we weren't. I hope you enjoyed your dinner. I'm not much of a cook, but obviously Mr. Occella didn't hire me for my cooking abilities."

"No it was actually quite good. I make a similar recipe back home, so it was a bit of comfort food, which sure can be nice, when you are out of your element."

Brenda wasn't much of a broadcaster, she was basically thinking about the things that she needed to get done today, which I could see included being at my beckoned call, should I require to be taken anywhere, or have any questions to ask. It was clear to me, that at some point, over the course of several incidents and not that long ago, that Brenda had been glamoured. There were holes in her head, punched in random places, like Morse code. I wondered why she would have been glamoured, but I kept that to myself, it wasn't the time to ask.

"Have you been working for Ocella long?" I wondered if I could establish anything.

"Well actually, I've been here about 2 years. Occella and Nayala moved to this house at that time, and advertised for a "girl Friday" kind of position. I was just out of school, and I didn't have any other options quite as appealing. I thought this might be kind of interesting." She smiled. "I've been right so far." She thought that I seemed quite nice and couldn't quite figure out why I would prefer a vamp to a human, as the idea made her shudder.

"Well I thought I'd ask you guys a couple of questions, but maybe I'll wait until Conrad comes back, and we'll just do this all at once. I don't really know where to start, it's not like I'm Nancy Drew, and I honestly don't know that I can help at all."

"Sorry about that," said Conrad, as he walked back into the room. "Private conversation."

I smiled as I heard the Canadian "about" sounding like "aboot", but then remembered that my twang probably sounded kind of countrified to them and minded my manners. Conrad sat back down at the counter, but swivelled his stool around until he faced us. He was an energetic person, a foot tapper, nail chewing, lip biting bundle of energy. I suspected this wasn't his first cup of coffee, but he was a flurry of activity, including his mind, and I couldn't get a strong hold on anything on him, other than the fact that his mind was running through all of the things that Occella expected him to do today, while he was sleeping. He didn't seem like he had been glamoured at all but I couldn't be certain, because his mind was such a buzz of activity.

"What time do the vamps normally wake?" I was curious, because it had been dark when we arrived, and light when I woke up, so I didn't know what time night fell this far north.

"Well, we've just passed the shortest day of the year, about a month ago – so dusk will be around 5:30 or so. It's going to stay dark until at least 7:30am." Conrad looked at me. "Is there anything that I can get you for breakfast? We have cereal and toast, and bagels and fruit."

I took his offer of fruit, and he walked over to the fridge to put it together for me. We spoke for a bit, and I asked them what it was like working for Occella. Both said that they enjoyed working for the vamps. Besides the money being very good, both of them had been making good contacts through the people they met and felt it would serve them well in the future.

I took a swallow of my fruit, and another sip of coffee. "How about Nayala? What is she like?"

They both glanced at each other, and I immediately felt Brenda's anxiety level increase a bit. Conrad remained stoic, but his endless lists of things to do ceased briefly and one image flashed through his head that confused me. It was just an image of a very white hand trailing over the edge of a bed limply. Then it was gone. I had no idea what it meant but decided to remember it, it was obviously important and related, if he thought about it as soon as I brought up her name. His mind throbbed a greenish blue, and then returned to its list making. What was this, I wondered.

"Well she was, I mean is, really a beautiful woman, tall and slim with reddish brown hair. I don't know she was about 30 or so, when she was turned I guess." Brenda thought about it for a moment. "She really loves clothes; she always has the best clothes."

"Ok, but what about how was she to work for? Is she nice, or mean or what?"

"Yessss... Well, she's very specific about what she wants. And she does expect us to be on our game all the time... It can be hard sometimes, I mean we're human, we get sick, and we get tired – and we need days off sometimes." Brenda sighed. "But she never scared me or anything like that, I just think that she forgets that we aren't vamps who can't go, go, go all the time, and never fall down exhausted."

I nodded. I could certainly sympathise with what she was saying. For a while, until I put my foot down with Eric, he didn't realise that the majority of the time, I would work all day at Merlotte's – and then he would expect me to be there at his side all night too, and then repeat it again the next day. That didn't last long, until I finally said – enough – human here – I need to sleep.

"Well I've never had a problem with her myself, I must admit I keep my head down and don't notice what I'm not getting paid to notice." Conrad flashed me a smile, as if to say 'make something of that' and clammed up. I decided to let it ride for now.

"Do either of you know why I'm here? Has Occella mentioned to you why he asked Eric and me to come?" I was curious if they knew I was a telepath.

"Well we know that Eric is a sheriff in Louisiana, so he had some pull, and we know that you are a friend of the pack in Shreveport, because Occella told us, and he said that you would probably be able to get some information from the Weres up here based on pulling in a few favours. Beyond that, he didn't share much." Okay- so as Brenda said, apparently no one knew I was a telepath, which was just fine and dandy with me for now.

"Well anyhow Miss Stackhouse, I have to run out to do some errands, banking and what not. Brenda is available to take you anywhere you need to go, shopping or anywhere. We just ask that you don't go anywhere alone. These are Mr. Occella's strict orders, while he is resting." Conrad looked at his Blackberry, as it buzzed for about the fourth time during this conversation. "I have to go; I'm late for an appointment with the brokerage office." With that and a nod, Conrad walked out of the room, laptop case in hand, blackberry buzzing like a fly and already raising it to his ear.

"Don't mind him. He's acting like an asshole, because he is an asshole. That guy has about as much depth as a bowl of water, and that Blackberry is glued to his ear. I'm surprised he's not wearing his blue tooth antenna out his ear this morning. He looks so stupid when he wears it, but he thinks he's cool. He drives a big black suv, but frankly I think he's overcompensating for a small dick." Brenda grinned over at me, and I laughed. "I don't get impressed by that kind of shit; I've seen a lot of it come and go, and I have my cell phone, my laptop and if it's really that important people can find me. I don't need an electronic leash."

I nodded, as I happened to agree with her. There had been a multitude of times that I had been with Eric, when his phone had rung, or buzzed, beeped or otherwise chirped and it was only my evil eye staring at him that had stopped him from responding to it when we were having some private time.

"So basically, I figured I'd give you the grand tour of the area, so you can see where you are. The falls are really nice at night and during the day, so we'll go down there, and you can see the casinos. From my understanding, you're going there tonight. I hope you brought something nice to wear, I mean it's nice enough, but you can get away with wearing jeans and so on but there are a couple of other great places nearby and some have dress codes." I nodded that I did, and I went out to the hall to get my coat.

Brenda followed me, and after she had secured the locks and activated the alarm, we exited the house. It was crisp, cold and sunny outside, everything looked so hard and glittery. I saw birds everywhere, which surprised me because I thought they migrated in the winter. There were red and blue ones, and squirrels all over the place. The trees were bare, but covered in snow, and it was quite pretty. We jumped in her car, a Nissan of some sort, nice because it had been running for a bit and so it was toasty warm. I commented on it.

"Remote start baby. In this climate, a nice warm car is way better when it's cold out." She smiled and we crunched through the snow down the driveway of the house.

I felt odd leaving Eric behind. Here we were on our first trip together, and I was leaving the house where we were sleeping. I barely knew this woman, and here we were taking a road trip. Oh well I figured, I should just sit back and enjoy, so that's exactly what I did.

The first place she took me was to a coffee shop that had a drive through window, and she bought me a coffee. She claimed that no one could go to Canada, and not have a "timmies." I sipped on it, and decided it really was fantastic, and we continued on our way. She pointed out the sites, like the Niagara River, and the large bridge that spanned it we must have crossed last night. It was hard to think that I was in a different country, and could see my home country less than a mile away. We drove past the race track, where she said that Occella occasionally visited, and she showed me his brokerage firm, a large office building, with several warehouses, with bay doors large enough to back a truck trailer into. We then drove into Niagara Falls, where she showed me the wonder, and I was truly stunned by its beauty. With the cold, icebergs had broken off and were floating at the base of it, and everything was covered in ice from the mist. She said it was treacherous walking and asked if I minded if we didn't get out of the car. The wall of water pouring over the sides of the cliffs was truly breathtaking and I hoped I'd get to see them again before we left. We drove up a steep hill; filled with gaudy lights and weird shops, and then we were back on a busy city street, there were hotels everywhere. I asked her if she knew where I could get a camera, I had intended to buy a digital one now that I had a computer, and I thought I would like to take some pictures.

Brenda said she knew of an electronics store on the way back to the house, and would stop there. We had been driving for a bit, and had passed several electronics stores when I started to get a nervous feeling emanating from Brenda. She kept checking in her rear view mirror, and I turned around to see what she was looking at.

A green pickup truck was behind us, not to close, but not too far either. Two jowly looking men were sitting in the front, staring straight at us. I could tell they were not taking their eyes off of us.

"How long have they been behind us Brenda?"

"Since we reached the top of Clifton Hill back there. I've already passed the electronics store, and we're on the outside of town, I don't know where else I can go, but I think that if I can get us back to the house, we can barricade ourselves in there. I don't think we should stop and I know where some weapons are in the house." I nodded, not seeing any other options."We're still another ten minutes from there though and I can't drive too fast, the roads are really slippery!"

"Why don't you give me your cell and I'll call the cops. You guys have 911 up here right?" She handed me her phone, and I called 911, it was still light out, so Eric wouldn't be up. This was a really bad situation, and I had no idea what to do.

I started to dial the phone, when a sharp bolt of pain arched across the side of my head. I dropped the phone, and screamed. I clasped my head in my hands and drew them away. I had blood in between my fingers, and I heard the bullet slam into the dashboard as another shot was fired. I ducked reflexively and stayed down.

"Omigod Sookie, they're shooting at us, omigod your head, it's bleeding!" With that Brenda reached into the glove compartment of her car, and pulled out a silver handgun. She kept her left hand on the wheel and pointed the gun out the back window. The sound of the gun going off in the confines of the car was deafening. She pulled the trigger again, and the third time she fired, she gave a primal scream of triumph. "I fucking got him, that bastard!"

I raised my head to see the front end of the green truck, shimmy to the left and then to the right as it lost speed and dropped off. It lost control on the slick roads, and ended up in the ditch. I leaned my head against the back of the seat, and gave a shuddering sigh of relief. My head was still bleeding, but it seemed as though it just grazed me, and it could've been way worse.

Brenda looked at me in concern, as she drove as fast as the conditions would allow. The hand gun was in her lap now, and she was constantly looking at her mirrors. It was starting to snow quite heavily, and she had her windshield wipers on, her windshield miraculously untouched, although her dashboard was smoking and full of holes.

"Sookie, there's a towel in my gym bag, in the backseat right behind you." I gratefully reached back and grabbed it out, making a pad and holding it against my head. It would stop bleeding eventually, but I unfortunately knew that head wounds were the worst for bleeding. "We're almost here, there's the turnoff for the road."

It was just starting to get dark, and I was freezing. The back window had shattered, and a brittle wind was blowing in. The controls for the heater were gone when the dashboard was shot out and I was shivering as much from shock at being shot at as I was from the cold. I felt relief when we pulled in the driveway, but I didn't feel Eric yet, although I sensed him slumbering somewhere and I knew he was still asleep.

Grateful that we would be able to get inside and to get safely locked behind an alarm system and so on, we both opened the doors to the car. Brenda still clutched her gun, I had the towel on my head, which was still bleeding, which was probably why I didn't see the shadows come out of the woods until it was too late.

A massive arm attached to an angry looking man knocked the gun out of Brenda's hand, and his clenched fist ploughed into her jaw, knocking her senselessly to the ground. I didn't even think, I ran. I ran for my life, into the trees surrounding Occella's home. I had no idea where I was going, just knew that I was not sticking around there to find out what the giant had to say. I heard him crashing through the underbrush after me, and prayed that he wasn't a werewolf or I was a dead woman. I crouched behind a tree, and willed myself to be silent and still. I heard him moving off towards my left, and I scanned the dark shadows for a figure.

"Come out you fucking bitch, I've got friends on their way right now, and we'll find you, and we will rip you to shreds. Maybe we'll fuck you first, and then we'll eat you." He giggled.

A bully, always using their dicks to bully. I wondered why he didn't shift if he was a were, but decided to thank my stars that he hadn't for some reason. I heard the low murmur of voices of to the right again, and I decided to move a little while they were speaking. I moved to the right, and then back towards the house again. I needed to get inside. My teeth were chattering, and I was so cold. I could feel the blood freezing in my hair, and I was beginning to go numb in my toes and inside my thin leather gloves, my fingers were aching.

I made it back to the house. I could see the rear of it, but I was afraid to go much closer. The trees had made me think it was much darker than it was, but the truth was that I didn't think Eric would be up yet. I tried to talk to him through our blood bond, but I didn't feel his response. I decided to go for it, I couldn't stay out here much longer, because the longer I held still, the slower I was getting. My body was getting cold and stiff.

I crept up to the back of the house; it was covered in long icicles, hanging from the gutters. I figured I could break a window and set off an alarm. At least I'd get warm, have a chance at a phone, or maybe able to locate a weapon – at least a knife from the kitchen.

I looked around on the ground for a rock to break the window with. Doing that, I neglected to pay attention to the large leather encased man who walked around the side of the house, and lifted me off my feet by my neck.

He slammed me against the house with both hands, and he squeezed for all his worth. I felt the blood pounding in my temples, and I felt the wound in my head reopen. I kicked him squarely in the balls, and he dropped my briefly as he grimaced, and grunted, "Bitch."

He backhanded me across my face, which stunned me, and then resumed to pick me up again and throttle me. My hands beat a tattoo on his face, chest, and forehead, and as spots began to swim in front of my eyes, I felt Eric begin to stir through our bond. I called to him frantically, sending him my terror. My heels drummed a tempo on the siding of the house, and I began to lose consciousness. My hands came down, once, twice on the side of the house, grasping at anything. A cold and wet form made it into my hand, and I pulled it off the house, where I raised it up in one last attempt to get this bastard off of me. I raised the icy dagger above my head, and slipped it into his eye as far as I could plunge it. The icicle broke off about half way through, and his hands tightened for a moment, then relaxed as he collapsed to the ground. I, who had been off the ground, fell to the earth beside him, gasping for air and holding my throat.

I rolled off of him, just enough to see that he was dead, a stiletto of ice sunk into his eye socket. I couldn't breathe. He had done something to my throat and I couldn't breathe. I stumbled to my feet, and I could feel Eric coming, so quickly now, but the flowers of black began to swirl in my vision, and my feet stopped cooperating. I staggered and fell, slowly. It seemed like the cold ground came up to meet me, and I decided that I was tired, and I would just take a rest. I was so cold, and I couldn't breathe properly, what would it hurt. I fell to the earth and let the darkness fall around me like a curtain at the end of a really bad play.


	12. Chapter 12

_Anything I write or say in this story is for fictional purposes only, and is not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, or individual, or anyone or thing, especially those with the ability and desire to fight back or bite me. This story may inadvertently and occasionally become obscene, prurient, useless, hate-filled, poisonous, pornographic, frivolous, empty, rotten, bad, disgusting, hostile, repulsive, virulent, infectious… I cannot in any way condone, endorse or take responsibility for such content, it is probably due to a complete lack of coffee, sleep and sex._

_While the storyline and what streams over the next few months are mostly mine - I owe the characters and the basis to which I am writing to Charlaine Harris, and I do not make any money or gain anything from doing this except the fantasizing as I wait impatiently for the next book to come out._

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Chapter Twelve

This really sucked. I had been bitten, beaten and throttled all within an inch of my life twice in the past month.

I lay on the ground for what couldn't have been more than a couple of minutes. I was fading in and out, and really didn't care at all. I could hear the stomping of feet through the snow, as well as my own raspy breathing, more and more distant. All of the sudden, he was with me, and I could feel his rage, as raw and liquid as lava.

"Oh for fuck's sakes, you can't even offer adequate protection for her for one bloody day, Occella." Eric turned me over, and I opened my eyes briefly and, he looked down on me as he picked me up off the snowy ground. "Lover, I'm going to take you into the house, and feed you. You'll feel better soon."

He breezed into the house, so quickly, and like that I was deposited on the couch in the library where we had been the night before. The roaring fire was going, and before I knew it, he had pulled a knit blanket off the back of the sofa, and covered me with it. I was shuddering as the heat returned to my body, and I felt pins and needles in my fingers and toes. My throat was an absolute nightmare. I could still hear my breath rasping, and I couldn't speak. Swallowing was torture, and it certainly felt like something was inoperative in there. I was shivering so violently now, and my teeth were chattering. Part blessing, part curse was the fact that I seemed to be more alert and coherent. I realized that there were quite a few people in the room with us. Occella & Conrad were tending to Brenda, who was still unconscious and another deep voice. I didn't feel like opening my eyes just then, and checking it out. Aside from that, Eric had raised his wrist to my mouth, which he had slit so that a steady flow of his healing blood began to go into my mouth and trickle down my throat.

"Eric, you share your blood with her often." Ocella said this as a statement not a question.

Eric continued to feed me blood. Initially, it was impossible to swallow and the blood just slid down my throat. I coughed once, and the pain surged and flowers bloomed in my eyes. But Eric pushed me back down on the couch and continued to feed me his blood. As it coursed down my throat, I felt the healing properties of it soothe the injuries like an elixir and I began to breathe easier. Eric opened a True Blood that was sitting beside him, and began to drink it, as he looked at me with concern. I removed his wrist from my mouth, and I reached my hand up, to caress his face.

"Thanks." I took an experimental swallow, and was relieved at how much better it felt. It reminded me of the time I'd had strep throat as a child, raw and wounded, but certainly not the broken bits of flesh and bone feeling I had before.

I took a look around the room, and saw Brenda beginning to moan, her face white and a bruise blossoming across her jaw. Conrad had an ice pack, and they had covered her with a blanket. Conrad, no surprise was talking on his phone. Occella stood like a statue at the rear of the room, surveying all of this with interest. The newcomer sat in the chair Occella occupied the previous evening, looking at me with curiosity with deep green eyes.

I reached out my mind, and felt his brain – ahhh... Pulsating red, a were. Of course, I couldn't expect to meet another human, that wouldn't be nearly exotic enough for the life that I had been living lately. On the bright side, he was a very good looking were however, wavy dark hair, and a really nice body, from what little I could see beyond the broad shoulders, and long denim encased legs. But I decided not to look too long, as I had already noticed my blonde vampire's eyes narrowing and becoming stormy from my examination. I sat up, moved closer to the fire, and wrapped the blanket around me tighter. I also removed my boots, which were cold and wet, from my trek through Occella's forest. It wasn't like snuggling with Eric was going to make me much warmer any time soon and I regretted that thought as soon as I had it.

"Sookie, I am truly saddened that you were attacked while a visitor in my home." He waved his hand imperiously at the were. "Eric, Sookie this is my colleague and occasional business partner, Rogan Moore. Rogan this is my child, Eric and his err – friend Sookie."

Occella raised a silky brow in my direction, and I decided to let his little attempt at rudeness go. He and I were definitely not going to be good friends. Rogan gave a brief wave in our general direction and Occella smiled.

By this time, Brenda had stirred, and was holding an ice pack to her jaw. Conrad had fetched her a glass of water and given what looked to be a couple of Tylenols. I noticed that no one offered to give her blood to fix her up. I sighed and warily lowered my shields to be able to hear all the people in the room.

I wasn't picking up on much, no one was really putting much out there, but I decided that I might get a flash of something, so I left it as the status quo.

"Lover, you are looking much better. Is your voice recovered enough to discuss what happened?" Eric looked at me with concern, and a hint of anger.

"Well we were sightseeing while you all were napping, and someone started following us. We didn't even get out of the car anywhere, it was just a drive. These two guys in a pickup truck were following us, and Brenda had a gun and she shot at them. Then we came back here really fast, and there were more of them." I paused to think about it. "I didn't see any cars or anything, did they park anywhere? Do you know who they were?"

Eric kissed the top of my head. "There was a car on a service road that leads to the beach, we assume it was theirs. Rogan, is a were pack leader in this area Sookie. This is one of the reasons he is here. He claims he didn't order the attack." Eric sneered as he said this.

Rogan sat up a little straighter at this. "Knock it off deader. I don't have the time or the patience to get involved in your bullshit vamp politics." He turned to Occella. "Look, I've been having problems with some of these guys lately. There's a lot of crap going on that's starting to really affect my business, some that involves you and some that doesn't. Between Nayali going missing on your end, and the thefts and robberies going on, on my end – we need to figure out how to help each other. This is getting out of hand very fast." He pounded his fist on the arm of the chair to make a point.

Occella nodded, with his chin in his hand – a very human gesture – and looked thoughtful. There was no sign of the pathetic and dangerous vampire of the previous night – which just made him all the more terrifying.

"I know you are right about that. We are losing a substantial amount of money to the truck thefts, and loss of business." He looked at me. "Miss Stackhouse. I know that it has been a very trying day for you, but I wondered if after the infusion of Eric's blood if you felt up to perhaps visiting one of our area's finer establishments this evening. It is still quite early, only just hours after dark."

"Count me out." Brenda groaned from the sofa. Conrad looked up briefly from some email on his blackberry and shook his head no.

I looked at Eric, who shrugged. "The sooner this is done, the sooner we can return to Louisiana you know. I also have businesses to run." He looked at Occella pointedly.

I moved my head around and swallowed experimentally. I was a little sore, but I thought that if I could scoff a couple of those Tylenols that Brenda had, I might feel okay. I was much warmer although I didn't look forward to leaving the fireside. I sighed, and then nodded my head.

"Good then. We'll all go in say about an hour. That should allow everyone enough time to get ready and to eat of course. Rogan, you will be joining us I assume?"

"Wouldn't miss it."

Occella left the room, Conrad and Rogan trailing after him asking Conrad if there was any human food in the house. I wrapped the blanket around my shoulders and got up off the couch and walked over to Brenda.

"I hope you are feeling better Brenda. That was really great what you did, with the gun, and keeping your head enough to drive back here and everything." She looked up at me and rolled her eyes.

"Sookie I don't know you that well, but let me tell you that I wasn't about ready to just roll over and die for some scumbags in a pickup truck. You did good girl. Heard about the were and an icicle. That's pretty inventive." She smiled at me and winced as it pulled her jaw muscles.

I had forgotten about that and I turned to look at Eric. "Taken care of lover, don't think anything of it."

"Well I guess I should go get ready. Must admit, day one was pretty exciting." I attempted a laugh but it came out feeble. Neither one of us was into it I guess, so I just patted her on the shoulder and Eric and I went up the stairs to my room.

When I opened the door, the room was just as I left it, but I felt like things had been moved around. I am not a neat freak by any stretch, but I do usually remember things. Eric's eyes darted left and right, quickly as soon as he entered.

"Why was Conrad in your room today?" He walked over to the closet and pulled out my purse. "You didn't take this with you today? This is what he touched the most."

"I just took my wallet and put it in my coat, in case we stopped anywhere. What do you think he was looking for?" I took my purse and went through it. I normally don't carry a lot of things. I had my cell phone, which was off right now, a lipstick and a package of gum. My wallet was in my coat, which was still on my back. I reached into the inside pocket and pulled it out.

"No idea, but I don't like it. I could find out I guess, but I don't know how Occella would feel about me glamouring one of his employees."

"Brenda's been glamoured a whole bunch of times, but I can't really tell with Conrad. " I decided to tell Eric about the pale hand, and the constant list making. "It's like he's blocking me, or something. He's constantly making lists in his head like of all the things he has to do. It reminds me of when I had to study something in school." I described the hand on the edge of the bed as I removed my now filthy coat. My pink cardigan and white turtleneck were spotted with blood that had come through my coat from the were I killed. I sighed.

Eric reached down for the hem of my shirt and pulled it up over my head. "No idea what it means, but it certainly makes up my mind lover to get Conrad in a nice quiet corner and ask him some questions, with or without Occella's permission." His hands roamed a little more, and my bra snapped free. He reached up to my ponytail, and pulled out the elastic until my hair was free.

He bent over and took a nipple in his mouth, while massaging the other one. He continued on that path for a while, while I stood there half naked in my only my jeans running my fingers through his blonde hair.

"Would you like to shower lover? Perhaps I can wash your back?" He looked at me sultrily, and I returned that gaze with some heat of my own. I took his hand and led him to the ensuite.

In the washroom, door firmly closed and locked, I started the shower. After having been so cold, I relished the idea of a hot shower. I removed my jeans, and Eric looked appreciatively at the plain white panties I had put on that morning. He made a comment to that effect, and I rolled my eyes.

"These are not sexy Eric, they are as plain jane as you get."

"Lover, women don't understand that while the lace and satin is very nice, it's what's going on inside the underwear that matters. I happen to like white cotton underwear. They are very easy to replace."

With that he, gave a quick tug at the seams of the underwear and they vanished from my hips and fell to the floor in pieces. Did I mention that my knees turned to jelly at this? His mouth was devouring mine, and he still had his damned clothes on. I tugged at his t-shirt and finally just pushed it up, as I began to lightly bite his nipple, and grabbed his wonderful ass through the seat of his jeans. He semi lifted me, until my backside was on the counter top and he inserted his fingers into my hotness. I moaned and threw my head back. He removed his shirt quickly, and his pants followed. The fingers were removed, and suddenly he was on his knees in front of me, between my legs. He licked at my core, and used his fingers to part me to be able to have free reign on my pleasure point with his mouth. I moaned and I said his name over and over again, as I shuddered with the climax that rocked me to the core. My back arched and I drove my hands through his hair as he pushed his fingers into me again, and turned his head. As I rocked with the force of my orgasm, he bit me on the inside of my thigh, and drank from me, all the while moving his long, long fingers against me, inside me...

Almost completely turned to jello, I smiled at him when he looked up at me.

"Wow."

"So you enjoyed that then." He looked pleased with himself. "I'm afraid it's not over yet my lover." And he took my hand and led me into the shower, which had been running this entire time. We were going to run out of hot water at this rate.

"Turn around." So I did, and he opened my body wash and proceeded to wash me with the rough cotton washcloth. He started with my back and soaped down the backs of my legs, paying attention to each toe. Then he sculpted each of my butt cheeks, and let his fingers linger in areas that made me melt. He proceeded up my back to my neck. "Turn around again, lover."

He used the washcloth on my face, being careful around my throat, and washed each of my arms, my fingers and my breasts. He dragged the coarse cloth across my sensitive nipples and a low moan escaped my lips.

"Eric..."

"Shh... Not yet."

He continued downwards, and used the soaps on my legs, completely ignoring that other area of me that screaming to be touched and now. He moved up slowly, torturing me with his deliberateness and I found myself running my hands up and down his sides saying, "please, please..."

"Please what lover."

"Oh Eric I need you to be inside me, right now lover, please."

He looked at me, and the washcloth dropped to the floor of the tub, and he picked me up, and pushed me against the wall of the shower, with my legs on either side of his waist. As he did that he paused, and looked down at me, his length pressed against my opening, taunting me in its disregard for the job at hand. I thought my entire body was going to burst if he didn't do it soon, I was so ready.

After what seemed like an eternal amount of time, with me panting, "please, please, please," he reached down and cupped one of my butt cheeks with one hand, and brought up his other hand to lift my chin up. He tenderly kissed me, while looking in my eyes, and we deeply did that for a moment, and when I parted from his lips, he shoved forward into me. I wrapped my legs around his waist and continued to kiss, him while I threw my hands around his shoulders and held on for dear life.

He was lightning and thunder. He was of the gods and I had no shields and it was a resonance of sounds and memories, and we were one. We rocked in unison, and he thrust into me again and again, and I reached a height of pleasure that echoed in my soul. There was only he and I and it felt like this time was endless, but then as all good (fantastic!) things are – they must end, and I knew that he was speeding up, and I was coming again, amazingly – and suddenly he stopped and said something I couldn't understand and shuddered as he released. He moved his head down and bit me on the shoulder, and I cried out in pleasure. We both stood there for a moment in silence, until I at last broke it.

"Wow again."

He smiled at me, obviously pleased with himself. "Wow, at least three times, by my count anyhow."

He licked the wound on my shoulder a few times, and I felt it seal up. The water was beginning to cool off, and we cleaned ourselves up and got out. I wrapped myself in a towel, but Eric strutted in his naked glory into the bedroom. I admired the view; he really was a beautiful man.

"Are you ready for this lover?" He looked at me contemplatively. "We are a lot out of our element here. I don't have the resources up here that I have in Louisiana. I have some help, but it's not much."

He looked concerned as he said this, and I wondered what we had gotten ourselves into. After all, if you have a 1000 year old vampire looking concerned about a situation, you could bet that there was going to be trouble.

"Maybe we should just kill Occella Eric, then he can't order you to do anything and we can go home and leave this place."

Judging by the look on his face, I had just succeeded in surprising my ancient vampire lover...

* * *

_Okay y'all I'm on a track... I know where I'm going and it's not going to be pretty for anyone/anywere/anyvamp... Hope you're prepared for a bloody mess as I'm about 1/2 way through right now. Either way, it makes no bloody difference, I'm writing it come hell or high water, hither or dither and even if I have to rip it from my flesh. Hope you're enjoying, this is great practice for me, and I'm loving the fun of it. Thanks for the comments, I'll try to keep it on track with the storyline and hot in the bedroom as long as I can._


	13. Chapter 13

_OK – So I finished one late last night and was so "into the vibe" that I kept going. I had to fall asleep once my significant came to bed, because the tap tap tap of the laptop drives him nuts. I also had to work this morning. Toute fini this evening – while watching the season premiere of Law and Order SVU, loved it – especially when Olivia knocked the fuck out of that pedophile at the end._

_This is the only chapter that I will name – perhaps it's because it's lucky thirteen. It's the beginning of the end boys and girls – we are reaching our climax, you and I. Perhaps we should settle in for the evening because it might be a long night... The curtain is going up on our little play darlings, shhhhh... It is time._

_As always, I must say that:_

_Anything I write or say in this story is for fictional purposes only, and is not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, or individual, or anyone or thing, especially those with the ability and desire to fight back or bite me. This story may inadvertently and occasionally become obscene, prurient, useless, hate-filled, poisonous, pornographic, frivolous, empty, rotten, bad, disgusting, hostile, repulsive, virulent, infectious… I cannot in any way condone, endorse or take responsibility for such content, it is probably due to a complete lack of coffee, sleep and sex._

_While the storyline and what streams over the next few months are mostly mine - I owe the characters and the basis to which I am writing to Charlaine Harris, and I do not make any money or gain anything from doing this except the fantasizing as I wait impatiently for the next book to come out._

* * *

**The Beginning of The End – Sookie's POV**

Chapter Thirteen...- **13**

Eric stared at me, startled.

"You've changed." He said this as a statement and he looked saddened. "You aren't the same woman who walked into my club a mere short while ago."

"Eric, I've seen and done alot in that time frame. You don't know the half of it. There are things I've done..." I trailed off, and he looked at me with puzzled look on his face. "I don't know how to explain it really, but I'm not the same person anymore."

I took a deep breath, and decided to continue. "You know Bill was my first right?" Eric nodded, and I could feel his growing impatience. He always reacted that way when I talked of Bill.

"I went through the better part of two and a half decades without ever having known a man intimately, and I had very strong feelings for Bill. I think I loved him." Eric's brows drew together further, and I felt his resentment, he made a move towards me, to kiss me, and I allowed him for a moment, but then I placed my hand on his chest and pushed him back a foot.

"Let me finish Eric, this is important." He sighed and motioned for me to continue. "I'm only telling you this because, Bill hurt me horribly. You could say that he broke my heart, and it wasn't that long ago... Yet just the same, I'm already with someone else, I've already been with someone else... And part of me is so hesitant to let myself feel that way again, because it just opens me up to more hurt. I don't think I could take it."

"So you don't trust me, and you don't love me as you did Bill, is what I hear you are saying. After everything, after I've risked myself, my life, my holdings and you still don't trust me." Eric looked away from me and pulled on his jeans, and I couldn't read his face. I reached out with my mind, and he turned to me quickly. "Don't."

I put my hand on his arm, but he moved away from me, and I was uncertain.

"Look," he said sombrely. "I don't blame you a bit, for watching yourself. It's only normal and after all, I am a vampire, and we can't be trusted." He flashed his fangs at me, and his eyes were cold. I could get zero read on him, and my heart began to race – this wasn't the way that I meant for this to go.

"But I have to be clear, that you can't have it both ways Sookie. You either want me or you don't, you don't get to lie in limbo, and expect to crick your finger and I'll come running Sookie – I am not that guy."

I must have looked shocked. "Eric, I didn't mean it that way at all, I'm just trying to tell you that I don't know what to think, we've shared blood and I really care about you, but this is all so confusing and it's going so fast and I don't know what to think."

"If you need time Sookie, I can give you that. It's really the only tangible asset a vampire has. But I leave you this. Don't wait too long, my sweet – I care for you a great deal, but my patience can only go so far with that. I won't be teased, and I won't be alone long."

"I made a deal with you that we would help Occella, and I hope you'll honour your end of the agreement. You will be compensated as promised, but this will be strictly business until you figure out what you want from this. We have to be downstairs briefly, I will meet you there and perhaps we can solved this problem and leave this accursed place."

With that, he turned to leave the room. We had gone from lovers to this in less than twenty minutes, and my heart was racing in my chest. I felt my cheeks redden and the tears threaten to roll out of my eyes. He turned to look at me, and as God as my witness, I swear there was anguish in his eyes, but he shut the door behind him anyhow.

I collapsed on the bed, my heart in my throat wearing the robe he had bought me and smelling the sex we had just had perfuming the sheets. I was numb, and I just wanted to go home. I thought briefly about leaving here, booking a flight and calling a cab in daylight to take me to the airport, but that would be like running from the problems, and more than likely – Eric would be sent to get me anyhow by Occella.

"Goddammit!" I screamed it loudly, not caring who heard me, and I threw my pillow across the room where it lay in a rumpled heap against the wall. The sight of it began to bother me and I thought of the fact that was a guest in this house, and I walked over to pick it up.

I smoothed out the coverlet, and made the bed. I picked up the towels on the floor and figured that I might as well get ready. I didn't want to be fetched by anyone. If I could get this over with, maybe I could leave and they would all let me alone. With my sex life out of the picture, I'm sure I would have lots of time to pay attention to the task at hand. I'd worry about my feelings for Eric later. First focus on getting home.

I splashed some water on my face, to take down the puffy eyes. My hair was still damp, so I blew it dry and finger fluffed it. I put on some mascara, water proof, of course - just in case, and lipstick. I picked out a long sleeved dress, very fitted, out of a knit material in a deep purple. It had no buttons or zippers, and just pulled on over the head. It was round necked and not cut very low, and came with a scarf type belt that sashed at the waist, with the same purple hues in it, as well as some beaded fringe. I had bought a bag to match, because it was so cute. I put the dress on, and thought about how I had bought it for Eric to see me in, but then I thought about how he said that he 'wouldn't be alone long' and jealousy flared through me. I put on a pair of really great black leather boots I had borrowed from Tara with a 3 inch heel, and a zipper that ran up the side to about an inch below my hem line.

I thought it was so stupid, all or nothing with him. But I grabbed my wool coat, the one that wasn't covered in were blood, and shut the door behind me. My head held high, I descended the stairs, my proudness betraying the aching in my heart, as I felt him grow closer. He stood talking to Occella, near the entrance to the library room, and Rogan was at the bottom of the stairs. He had a tiny cell phone to his ear, and he looked up and snapped it shut when I appeared. He smiled broadly, his eyes roaming up and down and I could tell he appreciated the view.

"Nice shoes." He smiled rakishly, and I laughed.

"Borrowed them from a friend of mine, it'll be a miracle if I manage to stay on my feet in these heels on ice." I warmed to him, because I felt like such a stranger in the home, with Eric now mad at me and Occella, well – I really didn't like Occella at all and I couldn't wait until I was no longer a guest in his home.

"Well it wouldn't be gentlemanly at all if I didn't hold your elbow, that is – as long as Northman doesn't mind." He looked over at Eric, who was still in conversation with Occella, indifferent to what was Rogan and I were discussing.

"Sure enough, Occella and I will be meeting a few of the local delegates from the local Vampire League, and I may not be able to be there – I would appreciate it Rogan." And Eric resumed speaking to Occella, who raised an eyebrow mockingly at this, and said nothing.

I smiled brightly at Rogan, and said to him, "Lead the way."

We went outside and there was silver SUV in the driveway, running of course. There was no snow coming down, but it was so cold, and the lights cast illumination that made the ice crystals sparkle like diamonds. True to his word, Rogan held my elbow and escorted me into the backseat of the car. Occella got into the front, Eric in the back with me. He stayed an appropriate distance away, and continued his conversation with Occella.

I looked out the window, as Rogan manoeuvred the vehicle down the slick streets. I decided that I would just sit back and enjoy the winter scenery; I was too tired, and too emotionally exhausted by the day's events to wonder anymore about any of this. I just wanted the evening to be over with, hopefully with some sort of solution to the Nayala mystery.

The street lights became closer and closer together, as we entered back into the city of Niagara Falls, and I could see twin spotlights tracing long columns into the night sky from the area where Brenda had told me the casinos were earlier. The lights had been turned on to shine on the majestic waterfalls, and the glowed different colours, as we drove down the parkway towards one of the casinos. We pulled up the long driveway, and under a large lit roof, Rogan stopped the car. A uniformed valet came to the car immediately, and opened our doors. I stepped out onto the pavement, and Rogan was once again at my elbow. I felt a slight twinge of annoyance from Eric through our bond, but when I looked at him, he was engaged in conversation with Occella again.

We entered the casino, and to my surprise immediately left it, as we entered a large nightclub that was part of the resort itself. It was opulent and decorated in an Asian inspired theme. We were immediately ushered to a private area, where a waitress made herself available and asked if we would like a drink. I ordered a gin and tonic, while the vamps ordered their bloods and Rogan ordered bottled water. The drinks came quickly, and I sipped while I looked around the room. Occella and Eric continued to talk quietly. Two other vamps came over and sat down next to them, and they all carried on the conversations without saying anything to me. I wasn't getting a read on anyone, but it was so difficult, there were so many people. I had tried it when I first walked into the room, and was overwhelmed at the cacophony of sound.

The nightclub was full of supes, weres and vamps alike. It was Fangtasia times a hundred, only on a level that combined a touristy sort of atmosphere, with a bass beat and more glitz. I finished my drink, and the waitress replaced it just as quickly when I nodded at her. Great service. Some of the vamps looked around with interest and I could tell they weren't local; others sat at tables, with obvious entourages. The weres sat in different groups, men and women – all dressed to the nines. Several of them nodded to Rogan, when they walked past our table. I finished my second drink, and quickly received a third.

A song came on over the impressive sound system, and I recognized it as one that I really enjoyed. I wished I could dance, and it must have shown on my face, because Rogan leaned over me, and asked me to dance. I glanced over at Eric, who was thoroughly engrossed in his conversation. I decided that he hadn't even spoken to me, hadn't introduced me to the vamps he was speaking to, and yet I was being forced to stay here away from my home and my job for no obvious reason.

"I would love to dance."

Rogan grinned at me, flashing a dimple in the process, and we made our way onto the crowded dance floor. I began to move to the beat of the music, moving my feet and my arms. The lights flashed, and the beat thumped. The three drinks I had downed were making their presence known, and I felt stronger, and sexier. Rogan was a terrific dancer, and he put his hand on my waist and smiled at me.

We danced for the next three songs, until I had to tell him that it was time to take a breather. I needed to visit the ladies room, and I was very warm in my knit dress and leather knee high boots. Rogan indicated he'd meet me at the table, and I made my way towards the ladies room.

I entered a stall, and as I did, I heard the voices of two women come in and begin speaking in the room.

"Look, I know that you aren't on board with it, but it's not that bad. It makes you feel really good, and the sex is amazing. It's cheap at a bill for a gram. The effects last quite a while. More than coke."

"Lacey, I just don't know. I mean, it's Vee, and it's supposed to be really addictive. What if it's bad stuff and we go nuts."

"It's not, look I've already had some of this same and it's fine. I guarantee it."

I exited the stall, and I washed my hands. The women, a short haired brunette, ceased speaking, and looked at me suspiciously. I raised my hands in mock surrender.

"Don't let me interrupt ladies. I heard you talking about vee, maybe I could get in on some?"

The one woman just continued to look at me, and the brunette just smiled.

"You must have misunderstood; we weren't talking about vee at all. It is really echoey in these bathrooms. It's all the bass music." She must be Lacey, pointed towards the door.

"Okay, I'll try something else then. I'm here with a bunch of vamps. Maybe I'll just step out and signal one of them to come in here, and search you and find the vee. Or maybe you could tell me where you got it." I raised an eyebrow, and opened the floodgates to their thoughts and waited.

'_Oh shit, oh shit, we're screwed. I never wanted to do this, fucking Lacey, she's always into some bullshit, I swear if I get out of here, I won't put myself in this position again..._' This from the reluctant vee virgin- she was a strong broadcaster.

The brunette, Lacey, was not so easy to release her mouth – or her thoughts. She was weighing the options, on whether she could take me down physically and make it out of the club before I alerted her vamps. She was thinking about the extra stash of vee she had hidden in the spare tire of her car, and she was thinking about the fact that she was a dead woman if the source for vee found out that she told who they were. A face flashed through her mind, and my eyes widened.

I said his name, and then repeated it and said, "He gives you the vee?" I was incredulous, it didn't make sense at all and I said as much. I was shocked. "But why would he...?"

She inhaled and swore, and whipped a small black device out of her purse. She pointed it at me, and two little wires flew out of the end. Suddenly I was jolted off my feet as an electric current ran through my body. She effing tasered me, as if my day couldn't get any worse! Bitch!

I could see and hear everything that was going on, as I slid down the wall to the floor and sort of slumped over, but it was like all the control had gone out of my muscles and I couldn't move. It was like I was watching it all from behind a pane of glass, and I couldn't think or respond. I couldn't hear her thoughts either, she must have jammed my telepathy or something when she tasered me. I couldn't feel Eric either, I was in deep shit.

She aimed the taser at the other woman, who threw her hands up in fear before she was hit. She shook and slumped unconscious to the floor. Lacey, immediately ran over to the ladies room door and turned the thumb latch so no one could come in. She walked back over to the other woman, and grasped her by the armpits. She dragged her into one of the larger stalls, and shut the door. I heard her turn the latch, and then she crawled out from under the door. All this in less than 30 seconds. The she looked at me while she whipped a cell phone out of her purse.

"Dammit to hell you fuck! I've got a huge problem. I'm at the VIP ladies room on the second level. I am with a woman, - she knows about the vee. – No, I don't fucking know how. No I tasered her, but she's coming around, and I don't have any charge left to do it again – No I have to get her out of here or we're all dead – get up here now, bring the car around the service entrance, we'll get Ben to let us out."

She continued on that for about ten seconds, but a loud rap sounded at the door. She looked at it briefly and then turned around, and grabbed a beer and a mixed drink that was sitting on the counter. She dumped it down the front of my dress. I tried to push her hands away, but the best I could do was mild twitches with my hands. I tried to yell, but a mumble was the best I could do. She had ruined my brand new dress.

"Hang on a sec," she said brightly and loudly through the door. "My friend was really sick in here, and I'm just taking care of her. I'll open it in a sec."

I heard someone laugh; a female, and then I heard the bass rumbling of a man at the door.

"Lace? Open up – it's me."

"Thank goodness Ray, she's really sick – we ought to take her home." Lacey turned the thumb key, and a large man with heavy jowls was standing there. He looked over at Lacey, and then at me. "Can you pick her up maybe and bring her to the car? She had way too much way too fast."

The other women tittered, garbed in their designed clothes. "She must be a lightweight – it's still so early."

The beefy man came in, and picked me up, while the other women entered the washroom. "Wow, she really stinks of alcohol, how much did she drink?"

"Oh she was drinking before we came here. She just went through a bad break-up." Lacey said as way of explanation, and the other women made sounds of sympathy. One of them patted me on the arm as the man carried me out the door.

"Don't worry honey; he's probably not worth it. You go sleep it off."

They took me down behind the VIP area, and down what I could only assume was the employee area – I saw a kitchen and several people in cook's whites stare at us curiously as he carried me down. I began to have pins and needles in my arms and legs, and I was able to lift my head, but it was so weak, and I couldn't hold it up. I experimentally opened and closed my hands and began trying to move my arms. I still couldn't hear their thoughts, or feel Eric, and I was beginning to panic.

We were outside now, and a van was running puffing white smoke out the exhaust into the cold night air. My dress was wet, and I immediately was cold. But it helped, because I began to feel a lot more alert. I raised my head, and began to struggle as Beefy put me not so gently in the back of the van.

"Hurry the fuck up, Ray." I heard Lacey hiss.

I heard then felt the rattle of handcuffs, as they fastened my wrists together behind my back, and I heard tape being rolled out that quickly bound my ankles and taped my mouth shut. Then the door to the van shut, and then both of them got in the car and it began to drive away.

I was bound and gagged in the back of the van, and I knew that the farther away I got, the more likely I would be to not be able to send anything to Eric, blood bond or no blood bond. I strained to send him something – anything, and I couldn't feel a thing. I still couldn't hear either of the two in the front seat, although Lacey the human bitch had pulled out the cell phone, and was speaking into it again.

"I don't know how, - bad luck? This has to be the broad you told me about – but you didn't tell me she would be there tonight, what the fuck did you expect? She's a fucking telepath and she was hired to find out shit that is exactly related to what we are doing! What the fuck do you want me to do now." She pulled a cigarette out of her bag and lit it while she talked. She muttered a few more choice words and snapped the phone shut.

"He said to leave the bonds in place, and take her to the clubhouse." Lacey hauled another drag off her smoke, and Beefy Ray nodded.

I felt hopeful, as a brief glimmer of their thoughts coloured my mind. Lacey was extremely pissed off, and while she didn't mind pushing vee, it was a completely different thing to be involved in the kidnapping and possible murder of another human being. Ray's thoughts were just sluggish and slow, coloured brown and awful – he was a werewolf. I concentrated on their thoughts and pushed myself to focus completely and deliberately on Eric. I needed him to feel my fear, my need – this might be my only chance. I wasn't hurt yet, just pissed about my dress – but holy mother of God, if he didn't hear me, I wasn't sure what was going to happen. I centered all of my energy into a ball, and shot it at Eric. I pictured throwing the ball like I did in softball, and I hoped that he would hear me as I gave it all I got.

* * *

_**Eric's Point of View... The Beginning of the End**_

I sat at the table, while Occella yammered on about his businesses and how, he and I could be so successful if we were to put our businesses together and amalgamate. I nodded where appropriate and responded to his questions. Finally he was silent, as one of his minions sauntered over to address him. Occella gave each of them his time, as if he was entertaining a court, and I smiled inwardly. Some things never change.

I had watched Sookie while she wasn't looking, and I noticed that her face was drawn and her smiles not so bright. I caught her looking at me a few times when she didn't think I noticed, and I thought I saw sadness in her eyes. She looked like a jewel amidst a scuttle of coal, her amethyst dress clinging to those curves that I had only just begun to explore. I knew that things were moving fast for her, and I knew that she would be wary of me after Compton had done so much damage. Her impetuousness was that of youth, and she made love to me with that same abandon. She simply didn't know what she wanted. But after millennia on this earth, I was certain of what I wanted.

She accompanied the werewolf to the dance floor, where she moved her body without restraint. She glanced over trying to see me occasionally, but her human eyes were not able to make me out across the crowd. Rogan placed his hand on her waist, and I started to rise, but thought better of it, as she just continued to dance. He didn't go any further with his hands, so I relaxed in my chair, but I kept a keen eye on the situation.

Occella touched my arm, and I turned to him. He had yet another dogsbody to speak to me about meaningless drivel, and I gave my brief attention. When I turned back, Sookie was gone off the dance floor. I spotted Rogan at the far end of the room, speaking to an attractive red head in green, but couldn't find Sookie. I assumed that she had gone to attend to her human needs, as her consumption of three drinks in quick succession hadn't escaped me. I gave it a few minutes, and then began to make my way down to where Rogan was standing with the red head. Several young women made eyes at me, and one put her hands on my backside. I turned to her, and ran my fangs down.

"You will remove your hand from me immediately, or I will be forced to remove it for you. Believe me sweetheart, you won't enjoy that." The offending woman blanched and removed her hand.

I made it through the crowd to Rogan, who looked over at me. "Hey Eric, what's up. Sookie's just in the ladies."

"It's been a bit Rogan, how long has she been in there?" Rogan looked at the red head, then back at me; he shrugged and looked resignedly at the woman

"Sorry gorgeous, duty calls." He smiled roguishly at her, and she smiled back, flashing perfect white teeth and a full lush mouth.

We walked quickly through the crowd towards the VIP area's ladies room. I knocked on the door, and four giggling girls exited.

"Hello tall blonde and handsome. If that's your lady friend in there, she's pretty blitzed," said one blonde with tattoos spiralling down her back. "If you're lonely, we'll be right over there." She pointed at a table full of other women, one wearing a white bridal veil... Bachelorette party – another time or place perhaps- but right now – Sookie was my priority.

I hoped she wasn't sick in the washroom, but I thought it likely – as I knew she wasn't accustomed to drinking heavily. Rogan and I pushed the door open and heard a low moan behind the last stall. I walked quickly over to the door, and pushed it – locked. I aimed a low kick at it, and broke the lock, catching the door, before it could swing in and hit the occupant. A strange woman was lying on the floor of the stall, moving weakly and spasmodically. Sookie was no where to be found.

Rogan assisted the woman on the floor, and I raced back to the club. The pounding music was beginning to piss me off royally, I needed silence. I couldn't feel anything from Sookie, I couldn't feel the bond at all and my level of concern increased tenfold.

I decided to spread out my search, and went back to the table to inform Occella in case Sookie returned while I was gone. He was speaking into his cell phone, which he closed when I returned.

"Ahh, the prodigal son returns." Occella laughed at his little joke, and his minions tittered alongside him.

I gave him the rundown, and Occella nodded, although he said, "You know Eric, it seemed as though perhaps you and she had a little tiff today. Maybe she's gone off with someone to blow off some steam." He laughed a little. "She certainly looked good enough to catch more than a few eyes this evening."

I resisted the urge to drive my fist into his smug face, but I kept my temper in check, and just walked away. Rogan followed, speaking on his cell phone, and I kept my nose pointed to the air, attempting to catch a scent of her.

We had just exited the building, and were waiting for the valet to bring the car around, when I felt it coming back. First I could feel just a shred of her, a glimpse, then I felt it flying at me like a cruise missile. Sookie slammed back into my mind like a psychic bullet and I staggered against the car. Rogan held onto the driver's side door and looked at me with surprise. She was screaming for me in her head, its echo ricocheting again and again. I shook my head to get rid of the feeling.

"What the fuck is up with you Northman," said Rogan.

"I know where she is Rogan; get in the car and drive."

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_First time Eric's POV – possibly the only time. Hope you enjoy. Love y'all. - T_


	14. Chapter 14

**_Hello there! I've just wanted to say thank you to you all for your great comments which truly inspire me to continue. I think it fantastic to know that there are so many people out there who enjoy the series as much as I. I enjoy your reviews, keep them coming. I know that I don't have as much "citrus" (still don't know what the hell that is supposed to be in relation to sex) as other writers, but I hope that the plot and subplot I'm working make the reading interesting while you wait for the lemon truck to arrive. Anyhow – this has been so far a thoroughly enjoyable experience in creative writing, and I thank you for taking the ride along with me. Let's see how far down the rabbit hole we can go shall we? - T- xo_**

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Chapter Fourteen

My hands were starting to go numb, from the pressure of the handcuffs. I had a splitting headache, probably from being tasered, and I was very frightened. I had been in a number of dangerous situations before, but I had never had the time to actually sit back and contemplate my own mortality and see death coming. I wasn't sure if I had gotten through to Eric, although I felt his growing concern through the bond. This certainly wasn't a two way street and I wasn't getting much. For all I knew he wasn't even aware I was taken from the club yet.

The van drove swiftly through the night, and my two abductors in the front were talking to each other only briefly. The van was a cargo style work van, and it was loud – so it was really hard to hear what they were saying. I probed the minds of them both and found that Lacey was feeling vaguely guilty with regards to me, but she was also afraid. Beefy wasn't thinking much of anything. You know that saying, all brawn no brains? Well that pretty much described Beefy to a tee. The van slowed down, and then turned down a road that was much rougher and it bounced, with me along with it along for a bit, until I sensed that we were turning into some sort of long driveway. Beefy turned off the engine, and both he and Lacey exited the van.

I expected the door to the van to open right away – but I only heard them walking and then speaking to some other people. The sounds of footsteps approaching the van became louder, and then the door was flung open. Beefy was standing there, and without a word, he reached in and pulled me out of the van. I was on my feet briefly only until he flung me over his shoulders like a sack of potatoes and began walking towards a low slung building, like a garage, set back along a grove of trees. Four or five other vehicles were there, and I saw a couple of people outside, the orange glow of a cigarette poised at their lips.

He walked inside the building and down a long hallway until we came to a room, set up kind of like an office. There was a computer, and a desk, a bunch of file cabinets, and a refrigerator. A chair had been set up in the middle of the room, and that's where Beefy plunked me down. He produced another roll of tape, and proceeded to tape me to the chair, across my chest and around my legs. He ripped the tape off my mouth, and my eyes teared up – did it ever hurt! Once his massive bulk was out of my way, I took a look around the room. It was a dingy room, no windows, with a couch and two chairs set against a wall with a small coffee table. The chair I was in was just a straight backed kitchen chair. I noticed on top of the table, there was a cooler and a wooden stake, along with a great deal of silver chain. This couldn't be good.

Beefy had left the room, and shut the door behind him. I was alone, and I experimentally moved my hands and feet to see if I could detect any slack. Finding no luck there, I looked around for something, anything that might cut through the tape. I could see nothing, and I heard footsteps coming down the hall towards the room I was in, and sensed that my time was running out.

The door opened on the far side of the room, and Conrad walked in, stupid ear piece stuck in his ear, but the phone in its holster on his pants. He grinned at me.

"Well, well – Sookie Stackhouse – to what do we owe the honour of your presence?" He cocked an eyebrow at me. "I certainly hope that our hospitality has been up to par with your southern expectations." He walked over and sat on the top of a desk, and grabbed the cell phone out of his case, and dialled. "Yes, she's here - right – thanks for that knowledge – we'll be ready." And with that he hung up.

"I knew you were hiding something, all your lists – who told you that I what I was Conrad? It was very smart of you to make your lists." I sneered at him, and if I wasn't such a lady I would have spit on him.

"Clever Sookie, I figured I wouldn't be able to get much past you - after all how can you fight an enemy when you can't see what they are doing?" He smiled at me, and got up off the desk. He caressed my face with the back of his hand, and I jerked away.

"Oh no doll, if I can pull all this off, I get to have eternal life. They've promised to bring me over, and guess who the first one will be that I bring over?" He laughed viciously... "That's right sweetheart – you will be. There's something appealing to me about the idea of me being your maker Sookie." He leaned down close to me, and I could smell his sour breath. He grasped my chin and turned my face so I was looking into his eyes. "Did you know that the child of a maker vampire has to do whatever their maker bids?" He waggled his eyebrows at me.

Manners be damned, I inhaled deeply, and spit right in his face. He reared back in surprise and then backhanded me across the mouth.

"You dirty bitch!" He wiped the back of his hand across face, and looked at it as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. He leaned in and screamed at me, so loud and violently that spittle flew out of his mouth, and his eyes bulged out of his head. He grabbed my hair, and yanked my head back until my neck was fully exposed, and I my head was immobile in his grasp. "You will learn to respect me or I will have you fed to the dogs outside. Do you fuckingunderstand!"

He then grabbed me by the shoulders and was shaking me, punctuating each of his words with a violent shake to my chair. His face was flaming red, and he was breathing heavy. I felt fear of him for Conrad was utterly insane. His mind screamed black and red mayhem and I reeled with the turmoil of it. I put up my shields quickly, and realised that I had heard the door open in the room. Conrad continued to lean over me, glaring.

"My dear boy – you must calm yourself. Miss Stackhouse whatever have you been saying to upset him so." Occella entered the room, sitting down on a chair, with his legs crossed. Conrad released me.

"Occella, why did you bring me here? I don't understand. You asked for my help, I was here to help you find Nayali." My head was throbbing with fear, and I could feel Eric's presence growing closer. Occella was sending seething waves of hatred at me, and his eyes gleamed maniacally.

"Telepath – I brought you here, because I need Eric. I knew he would not come on his own. Even I, with my limited knowledge of my protégé's activities in the south, have heard about his unusual affection for a bar maid telepath – a human at that." He laughed, throwing his head back. "Who would have thought that Eric Northman, my eldest child would fall for some human waitress?" He spit the word waitress out, and his accent grew heavier – drawing out the ss's on the end of waitress with a hiss. "Wrap up her mouth, I shudder when I hear her speak and I no longer wish to hear her voice."

"Gladly Master." Conrad took a wad of napkins off the desk, and jammed them in my mouth, securing them firmly with tape again. He grinned, and used his finger to trace my jaw. "Soon my sweet, you'll see what it's like when we are together. You don't need to be worried about Northman dear. We have plans for him."

Seeing the panicked look in my eyes, he continued, "Oh you don't think this was all for you do you dear? We know he's bonded to you, we know he'll come to find you. We are waiting; we have silver nets, and plenty of help. He won't escape. He's worth a lot of money you know, in units – in vee?"

I cringed to hear that, they intended to drain Eric and I didn't know how to get him to stop coming for me. They were using our feelings against each other, my love for him, would be the means to his death. And all I could think of was how I had been so cold to him, how unmoving and unwilling to give even a little to him the day before and we had fought. Tears ran down my cheeks, blurring with the blood that had seeped from my nose, when Conrad had backhanded me. Occella sniffed the air, and walked over to me, looking down.

"It's a shame that you are crying for one who is already dead young one. Don't worry, soon you will be too." He leaned forward and lapped the tear and blood mixture off of my face. "Hmmmm," he said speculatively, "You taste different Miss Stackhouse – sweet and something else, I cannot place. Perhaps I'll have a sip? This would explain a lot about Eric's, err, affection for you." He grinned again, and his eyes darted towards Conrad who looked displeased.

"You said that she was mine Master." Conrad said. "You said that she would be my child – she would be mine in every way." He sounded angry and Occella whipped around to him silently moving across the room like a viper.

"And you will be SILENT, until I address you or you will have nothing Mortal." Conrad looked down sulkily, but remained silent.

I heard a commotion outside and a large thump on the roof of the building. The room I was in had no windows, so I couldn't see what was happening. Conrad looked up with concern and Occella looked at the door in anticipation and grinned wickedly and I began to feel despair. Suddenly I felt a stabbing pain race across my back and I moaned behind my gag.

"I expect that it's your Viking my dear. Seems like perhaps Eric has just sustained a wound! Well I knew he's come, just as we figured and a wound will make him easier to restrain. I hate to be interrupted before I have a sample of your lovely bouquet, but alas – there is no rest for the weary."

* * *

_Anything I write or say in this story is for fictional purposes only, and is not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, or individual, or anyone or thing, especially those with the ability and desire to fight back or bite me. This story may inadvertently and occasionally become obscene, prurient, useless, hate-filled, poisonous, pornographic, frivolous, empty, rotten, bad, disgusting, hostile, repulsive, virulent, infectious… I cannot in any way condone, endorse or take responsibility for such content, it is probably due to a complete lack of coffee, sleep and sex._

_While the storyline and what streams over the next few months are mostly mine - I owe the characters and the basis to which I am writing to Charlaine Harris, and I do not make any money or gain anything from doing this except the fantasizing as I wait impatiently for the next book to come out._


	15. Chapter 15

**_Good evening yet again! I'm having a hoot! I hope you like where it's going, because it's coming to the end. There are still some loose ends I need to secure, but there is an end in sight. I've never written a long one before, so this is a very interesting experience as I pop my fanfic cherry. I feel it's been extremely liberating. Thanks for the suggestions and reviews, keep them coming! Some of you guys are so funny! I try to respond to all of you in kind, but please be patient with me. I'm trying to do one chapter per week, so far so good. thanks again, and enjoy... ;)_**

**_T - xo_**Chapter 15

* * *

He walked over to my chair, and easily picked it up with one arm, heaving me and the chair over his shoulder. He walked out the door at the back of the room, and it led nto a set of stairs going down. He was none to gentle with his descent and my shoulders and knees took a walloping against the stairwell walls as he went down. He turned to the left and there was a large room, open with concrete support posts going up to the ceiling.

Two of the posts had been wrapped in silver chains, and one was empty and the other one had chained an emaciated looking vampire who hissed weakly at Occella when she saw him. There were gleaming silver manacles around her wrists and ankles, and she was sitting on a thin blanket. Nearby were empty bottles of "True Blood and Red Stuff", and I saw an IV stand on wheels.

The vampire was filthy, and I could smell her body odour from across the room. It was a sour and rotting smell. Her fingers curled and she looked towards me with longing.

"She smells so good Occella, just one sip – I swear I won't drain her. How long are you going to keep me here? You've made so much money off me; I must have earned back my debt to you by now. I'm so thirsty…" She leaned towards me, and I could feel her blood lust, emanating from her – and she stared at me hungrily. I shrank back.

"Perhaps one little taste wouldn't hurt you, dear heart." Occella placed me and the chair down on the concrete floor and bent down towards my shoulder. "So luscious and sweet. He moved my hair away from the side of my neck and sniffed me. It reminded me of a dog, and I shuddered in disgust.

"I revolt you do I dear heart? Perhaps you will feel differently when I drain the blood of your Viking into a pail on the floor of this basement. Perhaps you'll beg me to take you instead. Wouldn't that be wonderful?" Occella clapped his hands together with delight, and laughed. The emaciated vampire lifted her head and moaned.

Occella laughed, "Hush my pet, you will be fed soon." He leaned down and without further warning sank his teeth into the muscle and flesh of the skin of my shoulder beside my neck. He sure didn't attempt to lessen the pain of it either. He sucked greedily at the wound, and I felt the area around my upper body growing cold and weak. He released me, and didn't perform the usual ritual of lapping at my wound to seal it, as Bill and then Eric had done and I continued to bleed. Occella pressed a handkerchief to the wound, not to stop the bleeding, but to soak up the blood, and he waited until the pristine white cloth was crimson before he tossed it at the vamp chained to the pole. She descended on it like the animal she had become.

"Well, well Miss Stackhouse. Wonders never cease. I haven't had a fairy in centuries." He smacked his lips together and gazed at me speculatively. "Would be interesting to get into vee from the vampires for the humans, and the blood of the fae from a human for the vampires? What an entrepreneur I am! I fairly delight in my own ingenuity! I could make a fortune!"

There were muffled thumps from outside again, and I felt, rather than heard a shudder ripple through the building, and Occella looked up. A frown creased his face. "Oh no, mustn't be allowed in. Those wolves – so tough on the outside, but all brawn, no brain." He glided over to the stairs. "Don't worry loves, you won't be alone long. Keep your brother's human mate company Nayali; I'll be back soon my pet." And he glided silently up the stairs.

Nayali, was the skeletal vampire chained to the pole. She wasn't missing; she was a prisoner of her own maker, chained to a post like some weird vampire dairy farm milking vamps for Vee. She held her head down between her shoulder blades, her hair hanging in strings over her face. Her arms bore evidence of torture, with deep gouges, and her wrists and ankles were almost burned to the bone because of the silver manacles. She wasn't breathing – but then again – vampires don't – and I didn't know if she was dead or alive. There was no sign of the handkerchief Occella had thrown, and I was frightened to be near her.

The mixture of tears, blood and sweat had loosened the adhesive on the piece of tape on my mouth, and I worked my jaw to try to move it off my mouth, so I could yell, or cry out for help. It loosened partially on the side, and I was able to push it off part of my mouth with my tongue. I felt another thump through the building, and noticed the acrid smell of smoke on the air, something that hadn't been there just a few minutes ago.

I began to realize that if Eric wasn't coming, I might be in a whole heap of trouble, and I looked around the dimly lit room for something, anything to help me cut through at least the tape on my legs, if not the tape around my chest. I felt relatively confident that with a little help, I could break free of the tape. The handcuffs were another story, but with my recent ingestion (several times) of vampire blood, I thought that I would probably have the strength to be able to break the binds if I helped it along a little.

The only things that I could see in the room, were the pillars supporting the ceiling, Nayali, still sitting silently, the IV stand and the bottles surrounding her. The smoke was getting thicker near the ceiling, and I no longer heard a commotion outside. I had to hurry.

I hopped my chair close to where Nayali was sitting, and prayed that I was out of her reach. I positioned myself nearest to one of the True Blood bottles, and shoved myself off balance. With a bone shattering crash, I landed on the floor, on top of the bottle, which broke underneath me. Small shards of glass bit into the flesh of my hands, and I felt fresh blood coursing across them. I rolled the chair a little onto a larger shard of glass, and felt the tape give a little as a hook of it punctured through the adhesive. It also punctured through my dress and the skin of my arm, which in turned caused a fresh round of bleeding. I prayed that Nayali was far enough away, because by this time – the scent of my blood had reached her, and her nostrils flared as she keened for my blood. She reached her clawed hands towards me but was restrained, just by a few inches by the silver chains.

I continued to move on top of the glass, positioning myself over the bottom part which had remained intact, and seemed to be the most stable. I felt like I was slicing myself to ribbons in the process, and I began to feel desperate. Eric was going to die because of me, because he wouldn't stop until he saved me, or he died in the process. I just knew it. I began to scream in frustration at the futileness of the situation, and the cords on my neck stood out as I lay bleeding in a circle of glass next to a blood starved vampire. I felt a low hum pulse through my body, and a white light shot out from my hands which were still bound together – and suddenly they were free of their bonds. I screamed in ecstasy as the power surged through me once more, then went silent after which I lay weak and limp on the floor.

The chair lay in pieces around me, with the handcuffs pressing uncomfortably against my back. My legs were free, and the tape was shredded into strips all around me. I sat up and moved immediately away from Nayali who was still keening for me.

"I want, I want – I need, need, your blood – it smells so good, come here little woman, pretty lady, let me give you a kiss, just one kiss... please your blood – it sings to me."

She continued on this track as I searched around for a weapon, staying low, because the smoke was very thick. I looked for a window or anything to get out, but I couldn't see any evidence of windows in this dungeon. I remembered that I had seen a wooden stake on the desk in the office I had been in, and decided to climb the stairs. I had to get out of here anyhow. I tried experimentally to emit that light out of my hands again, but when I held them out, nothing happened.

I left Nayali, because in my mind there wasn't much I could do about it. She would kill me if I set her free. The best I could do would be to get free and hope that I could send someone to rescue her before she burnt up. I crept quietly up the stairs and listened at the door. I heard no one behind the door, but I decided to err on the side of caution anyhow, and I slowly opened the door. The room was full of smoke, and I could hear the crackling of flames close by, but at least the room was empty, and I quickly made my way over to the desk, where the silver net and the wooden stake still lay.

I picked up the stake and tucked it into the band of the belt that was still around my now ruined dress. I also grabbed the net and threw it around my shoulders like a shawl. _Bite that, you vamp bastards._

In the space of a minute, I had searched the desk drawers for a gun, or anything else – but all I could find was a letter opener. I didn't think it was silver, although it looked like a silver type metal, but I figured that beggars couldn't be choosers in a time of need of weapons, and I took it with me too.

Clutching the letter opened in my hand, I opened the door to the office and walked out into the hallway. The flames weren't visible, but I could see black smoke coming from a door on the immediate left, and the smoke's tongues were licking at the ceiling, leaving black trails of soot in its wake. The door was beginning to smoke and the paint blister, and I knew the fire was about to break free into the rest of the building.

I came to the front door, and looked out the window. I lowered my shields and felt Eric near. I didn't feel fear in him, but rather the thrill of the fight, and the chase and the kill. I felt the fear of others, and the insanity of Occella, much closer than I would have liked. I could hear now, over the roar of the fire the screams of the dying, and I could see blood painted across the ground in the glow of the firelight. A few bodies littered the driveway and the snow had begun to fall again, and it coated the ground turning the blood into an icy slush.

I exited the building low, barely opening the door, and I shuddered at the cold night as it bit into my dress, which hadn't fared too well throughout this. I was thankful for Tara's boots on my feet, as I hugged the building, and moved towards the driveway, where a car was running, its exhaust puffing white smoke into the cold air.

I heard a yelp and a howl, and a dying werewolf staggered past me to collapse on its side. It was bleeding from a multitude of wounds, and as he died, he was reverting back to human form. He was naked, with bite marks on his chest and neck and he bled out quickly.

I felt that this was the time to make my exit, and I darted towards the car quickly. Mercifully the door was open and I jumped inside, thankful that the previous occupant had left it running. It was a small car, and I threw it into reverse as fast as I could, and then into drive and began hurtling down the driveway. I heard a multiple chorus of wolf voices raised in a cacophony of sound and the hair rose on the back of my neck. I saw several dark shapes begin to flank the car as I drove down the rutted driveway. I had just begun to count how many I could see when a hand came up and snaked around my throat.

"Hello doll, looks like it's just you and me again." And with that Conrad leaned forward from the backseat, where he had been hiding and licked the side of my face with his warm liver of a tongue. I screamed and jerked the wheel to the right, where we bounced off the road. We were still going a good clip when the front end of the car smashed into an old hoary pine and stopped. Conrad ended up in the front between the seats, and we were a tangle of arms and legs.

"You should have been wearing your seat belt you sick fucking pig. They save lives." And I drove the letter opener into his throat, and twisted it. He convulsed and clawed at the letter opened deep in his throat. Scarlet rivers jetted out of his wound and coated me.

"Gaaaa gaaa gaa..." He looked at me with bewilderment, and then he just died. I untangled myself from him, and prepared to exit the car. A dull thump sounded as one of the werewolves jumped on what was left of the car. I looked out of one of the cleaner spots and saw a large gray wolf, standing there staring in at me, not howling or barking.

I decided to take my chances. I wasn't going to cower in the car like it was a rabbit hole. If I was going to die, I was going to go out fighting. I wrapped the silver net around me tighter and exited the car. I had pulled the letter opener out of Conrad's throat and I clutched it in my hand like a knife fighter at a gun fight.

Half a dozen weres surrounded me, cautiously circling me, and the large gray one on the roof of the car barked sharply, when one of them broke rank and began to inch closer to me with a whining in its throat. I should by all rights, be dead by now, but I was still alive. I looked up at the gray wolf, and was surprised to see the air shimmer, before a squelching sound hit my ears and the wolf reverted back to human form. I saw Rogan lying on his side on the hood of the car, and he looked up at me wearily, buck naked in this frigid weather. He slowly rose to his feet, oblivious of his nakedness.

"Sookie, are you okay? Where is Occella?" He glanced around, and at some unknown signal that he gave, the wolves departed and darted back into the forest.

"I have no idea, Rogan where is Eric? I felt something, well I felt him – is he hurt?" Rogan looked at me and shook his head.

"I haven't gotten the slightest clue Sookie. I haven't seen him since right after we got here. We started picking off weres right away, I had called my pack from the club, and Eric knew where you were and we came here. It was Occella right Sookie? Did he try to kill you?"

I sighed, worriedly- and scanned the skies to see if I could spot Eric. "Yes, it was him and Conrad too. Nayali is in the basement of the building," I nodded back towards the building where I was held, in which the front half was engulfed in flames. "They've been holding her hostage, and draining her of vamp blood to sell the vee."

Rogan nodded, and we began to walk back towards the building. Rogan was oblivious to the cold, and I tried hard not to notice his firm ass and abs as we walked back. It wasn't the time or place. We reached the van where I had been held, and he reached in a grabbed a thin blanket and wrapped it around his waist like a towel. We crept around the side of the van, but the area was silent except for the crackling of the fire, and the occasional bark or howl of the wolf pack as they hunted for stragglers out in the forest.

"The fire department has got to know by now that there's a fire." He looked up at the sky at the billowing smoke, under lit by the orange flames. I could feel the heat of the fire now, and was thankful for it as it warmed my skin under my dress.

As I stared into the sky, I sensed a presence and suddenly Occella swooped down, and knocked over Rogan. He hit his head violently against the frozen earth and was still. I kneeled down beside him, and suddenly felt myself lifted off my feet as Occella swooped down again lifted me into the air. The silver chain had fallen off of me as well. Howling gleefully, he rose straight up into the inky black night, me in his grasp shrieking and struggling.

"Stupid woman, do you want me to drop you?" I looked down and saw the rooftops of houses far below me, and I immediately stopped writhing.

I felt the movement of air next to me, and suddenly Eric was hovering about 20 feet away from us, blood from a wound having soaked the front of his shirt, and carrying a large sword.

"One move towards me Eric and I will tear her luscious throat out." He darted his head towards my jugular like an adder, and Eric paused.

"What do you want from me Occella?" Eric hovered motionlessly, far above the earth. "Anything you could want from me, all you ever had to do was ask, I have to do your bidding."

"It's not possible, because what I want I can't just ask for Eric! Think! Think! If you came to me willingly, people would know that I made the powerful Eric Northman give his blood so I can sell vee! I would be sentenced to meet my final death! I don't want to die, you foolish boy! You have to come to me willingly, because then you are part of the charade."

"Why Occella? Why Nayali? Why me? After all these years on earth together, you claim to have loved this vampire woman and me Occella! After millennia – you resort to this!" Eric looked pleadingly at his maker, and I understood through the bond how difficult it was currently for Eric to not just give in to whatever his maker wanted. He felt driven to obey.

"Well Eric, things have become much tighter in recent years, and I do love to live well. I owe a few werewolves money, and well this seemed like an easy way to do it. Really what does it hurt? It's not like the blood doesn't regenerate in you anyhow. I wouldn't have kept you and Nayali locked up forever, only until the debts were repaid. You owe me your immortality; you owe me your fealty." He grinned. "Now enough of the trivia questions drop the sword to the earth, or I will take her life."

Eric looked from Occella to me, and back again. He glanced down at the earth, and he raised his face to the sky. "You swear that if I give myself to you freely, that you will take her to the earth and release her?"

"Of course I will. I just want to be able to get what I need, and then everybody can go on their merry ways." Occella chuckled, and I felt the lie as it passed his lips, although Eric was already dropping the sword. I watched fall end over end towards the earth, and until it disappeared amongst the trees. Eric began to move slowly towards Occella with his empty hands raised.

Occella's words echoed in my head, his idea about selling Eric's blood to the humans, and my blood to the vamps – we would be drained and regenerated for eternity. I couldn't bear the thought of him living like that, or me living like that. I took advantage of Occella's preoccupation with Eric to pull the wooden stake out of the belt of my dress and plunge it straight into his cold and empty chest. Occella looked at me in stunned surprise and exploded in a mass of blood and ash. Eric howled with the liberation of it, I felt his agony and his elation at being freed from his maker. Thus he was otherwise occupied digesting the feelings coursing through him after I killed the being that was Occella. Problem was that by killing Occella, I consequently destroyed the being that was holding me hundreds of feet in the air. Eric was so overwhelmed, and that's probably why he didn't react as quickly as he normally would, when I was released and began plummeting towards the earth.

* * *

_Anything I write or say in this story is for fictional purposes only, and is not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, or individual, or anyone or thing, especially those with the ability and desire to fight back or bite me. This story may inadvertently and occasionally become obscene, prurient, useless, hate-filled, poisonous, pornographic, frivolous, empty, rotten, bad, disgusting, hostile, repulsive, virulent, infectious… I cannot in any way condone, endorse or take responsibility for such content, it is probably due to a complete lack of coffee, sleep and sex._

_While the storyline and what streams over the next few months are mostly mine - I owe the characters and the basis to which I am writing to Charlaine Harris, and I do not make any money or gain anything from doing this except the fantasizing as I wait impatiently for the next book to come out._


	16. Chapter 16

_To each of you who have followed along as I go;_

_Thanks for your patience with my story. It's a little rough around the edges, and I think that there is room for improvement in a lot of areas. I've read and re-read it again, and I definitely know where the improvements are required. I hope, however that it's going along at a smooth enough pace that you aren't left going "WTF" – at some choppy point in it. I want to take you on a ride you see, one that you can visualize in your head. I want to make you feel part of the story, and be able to understand and recognize the vitality that exists in the characters, especially between Sookie and Eric in this particular story. I appreciate all the comments, and reviews and I want to thank you very much for taking the time to send them to me. We are nearing the end now; please take a moment of silence for Occella, a short lived character who lived for over millennia. ;) - T. Xo._

* * *

Chapter Sixteen.

Occella's hands released me, as they disappeared in an ash cloud, and suddenly I was falling through the night. I caught sight of Eric, his eyes closed and on his face an emotional medley of pain and elation. He didn't acknowledge my scream as I descended out of his sight, and terror streaked through my heart as I realized that he might not get it together in time to grab me before I crashed to the ground. I couldn't feel anything from him but the sense of loss mixed with relief – and nothing of his feelings had anything to do with me.

I cried out his name, as I began to plummet, gaining speed as my hair billowed up over my face and the earth rushed up to meet me. I let out a long, low scream of horror, and was bracing myself to hit the ground within seconds, when I felt him return to me in my mind. _' Sookie'_, I heard – and then he was there- catching me in his arms above the tops of the trees that I was moments from crashing into.

I slung my arms around his neck and buried my face in his chest with relief. He wrapped his arms around me and lowered me to the earth. We stood that way for a moment, in the driveway of the flame engulfed building, surrounded by carnage. I was still feeling a little shaky, and I could tell that Eric had been deeply affected by the demise of Occella. His mind was racing, and his feelings were a roller coaster of deep grief and exultation. I raised my eyes to his, and he looked at me briefly and then at the scene around us.

"The authorities will be here soon. I am need to look to see if I can retrieve Nayali from that building. Tend to Rogan." Eric said all of this without meeting my eyes again, and then he took his arms from around me and moved with vamp speed towards the building.

My throat contracted and I felt tears burn at the back at my eyes, threatening to roll down my face, but I swallowed them back. He would never forgive me for being the one that sent Occella to his final death. We had spoken about it back at Occella's house, and this is what had started our current rift, but I had just said it in passing – I didn't realize that it would come to pass as reality.

I made my way over to Rogan, who was still unconscious on the ground. He was still wrapped in the thin blanket, and I placed my hand on his forehead to see if he was warm still, which he was. I sat back on my heels, and raised his head off the ground into my lap. I couldn't see any wounds, and I thought he had probably just taken a really good knock to the head. Another, smaller gray wolf came over towards me slowly, and I looked around for a weapon of some sort, but there was nothing close to me that I could use – not even a rock – and I was just too exhausted to find it in me to fight. The wolf tentatively took a step forward and whined at me, raising its eyes to mine. I found the deep gray eyes surprisingly intelligent and warm, and I knew that this must be one of Rogan's pack mates.

"I don't know if you can understand me, but I really need a couple more humans around here to maybe give me a hand getting him into the van over there. I'm sure that there will be cops and fireman here really soon, and I don't think a naked man on the ground needs to be here, with all these bodies when they arrive." The wolf looked at me a moment longer, and then disappeared into the woods. I heard some sharp barking, and a howl. I looked around at the bodies around me, and was appalled at the bloodshed. I saw several wolf bodies, as well as human bodies totally at least 6. One of the human bodies was the brunette woman Lacey. I could see her, unmoving about twenty five feet away from me, facedown mercifully, in the snow – a cloud of red around her.

I continued to stroke Rogan's forehead, and I asked him to wake up – but he remained still. The fire had broken through the roof of the building, and the structure of the warehouse was beginning to fall in. I could see inside the building now, and the door I had exited out of was gone. There was no sign of Eric, or Nayali.

A small dark haired woman walked out of the forest, followed by another man – smaller in stature as well. Both were pulling on sweatshirts over jogging pants and were barefooted. The small woman came over to me and lithely kneeled down, while the man jogged over to the van I had been taken in. He jumped in and started it, and proceeded to back it up to where the woman and I were sitting with Rogan.

"Here, we're going to have to lift him and put him in the van. We'll take him back to our place and treat him. One of ours is a medical doctor, and we've placed a call already." Between the three of us, we lifted Rogan into the back of the van. I sat in the back with him, and the woman, while the man drove.

I was thankful to be leaving. I saw the time, and was amazed. It had been at least seven hours since we entered the club, and I knew that dawn was fast approaching and that Eric would be going to ground. I tried to project a feeling of need, love and sorrow at him – because I could vaguely feel him through the bond. I knew that he had felt the tentative nudge of it, but he didn't acknowledge back, and in fact if anything withdrew even more from me "bond-wise." I didn't know if it was possible for him to block me out, but that's what it felt like. I felt miserable.

Rogan was starting to come around now. He hadn't opened his eyes, but he was moaning and moving his head. I took that as a good sign. He barely knew me, and he had really laid it out there for me tonight. I leaned down and kissed him on the forehead. The little female were looked up at me in surprise from her attending to his other cuts and bruises.

"I'm Jane by the way. You're Sookie right? Rogan says you're nice. We're going to take you back to Occella's house; the vamps are going to ground within the hour, so you should be safe – especially now that Conrad is dead. But I would get your stuff and book it before it gets dark." She looked at me intently. "If you need a place to crash tonight give me a call. He's going to be fine you know. We're all fast healers." She grabbed a pen out of the console of the van, and wrote her phone number on a receipt and handed it to me. I smiled my thanks, not daring to say much more, in case I lost it and broke out in tears.

The van came to a stop outside of Occella's house and I got out – I said thanks to both the weres inside and shut the door to the van. It was almost dawn, at that point where the sun hadn't poked over the horizon yet, and the sky although lightening wasn't fully day. I decided that I needed that moment of tranquility, and made the decision to watch the sun rise. I opened the front door to Occella's house and removed a warm coat from the hallway closet. It smelled faintly of vampire, but I didn't care.

I walked down to the break wall behind the house, which was only about 100 yards from the front. The sun was not up yet, but the sky was getting light. I could see patches of blue on the great lake, amidst the ice and snow. Large ice banks had built up across the shoreline, and the beauty of it was breathtaking. I sat down on a large boulder near the beach, and brought the collar of my coat up beneath my throat and waited for the dawn.

It rose like a flower blooming from the earth. The horizon began to elongate and red tendrils of light stretched out across the water and land as far as I could see. I saw the whites, grays and blacks of the night get banished by the fiery colours, turning death into life. I began to cry, in loss. Loss for all of the truths that had been made clear to me over the past year and a half- loss of the former life that I had, sheltered from the horrid realities that I was living now. I cried for the loss of love, for what Bill had done – for what I was doing to Eric and what Eric felt he had to do to me. I cried for Occella, because now – I had committed murder and I would never be able to wash the blood from my hands for that. I sobbed until I thought my throat would crack from it, and I cried because I knew that in my heart of hearts I loved Eric without a shadow of a doubt and that I had probably lost that too.

When the sun had risen, I rose from the boulder and walked back towards the house. It was dark with no sign of life. I entered in the front door again, and hung the coat up in the hall closet. I saw no sign of anyone, or anything and I quietly crept up the stairs to the room I had been staying in. I went straight to the bathroom, where I stripped of the now ruined amethyst dress I had bought for Eric, and dropped it to the floor. I turned on the water, and stepped into its steamy depths where I proceeded to scrub away the evening's toll on my body. The tears continued to stream down my face, in the shower as well as after I got out. I put on a pair of jeans and a pink cotton sweatshirt. I pulled my suitcase out from under my bed, and I began to pack up. My peach satin robe brought a out a fresh rash of tears, and I hugged it to myself before I pressed its folds into the suitcase.

I just couldn't stay here another moment. Everywhere I looked me felt reminded of Eric, and I just didn't feel at ease. I grabbed my toiletries out of the bathroom, and I looked around. I crept back down the stairs, and went into the library where I used the phone and phone book to look up a cab, and a hotel to stay, one that the cab could easily take me to. The cab company told me that someone would be there within 15 minutes, and I went into the front hallway. My one jacket was stained with blood, and the other one had been left at the casino club. I was going through clothing at an abnormal rate, and all I could hope was that I would be paid for my time, as promised even though Occella was dead. I removed the wool coat that I had worn to watch the sunset, from the closet – it was a little big – but sufficiently warm for the weather.

I sat down on the hall bench and waited. I heard a noise from behind and whirled around to look. Brenda stood there, surprise written on her face and a bruise darkening her jaw. She had a cup of coffee in her hands, and she looked down at the suitcase by the door.

"Sookie, where are you going?" She looked at me with alarm. "I spent the night here last night, Occella didn't come back, neither did Eric – I haven't seen Conrad and no one is answering their phones. This is really wacky, now here you are suitcase in hand, booking it – what the fuck is going on?"

"Look Brenda – I don't know how to break it to you gently – so I'm just going to give it to you straight. Occella has met his final death, he and Conrad both. They both were behind dealing a whole lot of Vee, and they were the ones who kidnapped Nayali. They were draining her and selling her blood. I don't know where Nayali is, or if she's alive, and I don't know where Eric is." I sighed, and the another stream of tears fell. "I guess he'll come back here tonight, but right now – I'm exhausted and I have to get out of here. I'm going to the Comfort Inn at the border, and I'm going to sleep. Then when I wake up, I'm going home."

Brenda's eyebrows were raised and she looked shocked. "Holy shit. But what do I do – like should I call anyone or do anything? I have no idea what to do!"

"Frankly Brenda, I just don't know. And I really don't care. I didn't sign up for this when I agreed to help. I just can't do it anymore." A sob escaped my throat and my shoulders shook. I heard the crunch in the snow and gravel as the cab pulled up, and honked its horn. I grabbed the suitcase off the floor, and walked out to the cab, leaving a speechless Brenda behind me.

I gave the cabbie the name of the hotel I was going to, and he turned on the meter. I turned my face towards the window and was just lost inside my head for a few minutes. I was so exhausted; I just wanted to sleep for days. I knew that with the dawn Eric had found a place to hole up, but I had no idea where, I couldn't feel him at all through the bond. The cab pulled up outside the hotel, and I went in and booked a room. I asked the concierge if they could get me some information about flights out of Buffalo to Louisiana for the next day, and he said he would get the information for me. I thanked my lucky stars I had a credit card in decent standing, and was able to take care of this on my own. I walked into the room, hung the do not disturb sign on the door, and opened my suitcase. After that I got undressed and put on the satin robe that Eric had bought me. It smelled faintly of him, and I collapsed into the bed once again in tears. I cried into my pillow, as I wrapped the hotel blanket around me. My grief engulfed me, and I knew that this lack of control of my emotions was highly due to being absolutely exhausted and I was relieved when the weariness overwhelmed me, and I dropped into a dreamless sleep.

I woke ten hours later in the bed, probably in the same position I fell asleep in. I tended to my personal needs, and walked out into the small room to make myself a pot of complimentary coffee. There were two envelopes under the door to my room, and I gathered them up, to see while I drank my coffee. The first was information on a flight out of Buffalo at 7 o'clock the next morning. It gave information on flight status, price, transportation, etc., all I had to do was call the concierge and he would book it for me on my credit card, which I did immediately. The second envelope contained a letter from Eric.

_Sookie;_

_I looked for you at Occella's house, and found you gone when I awoke from my day sleep. There is much we need to discuss, and I would like it if you would telephone me when you awaken this evening, so we can arrange a time to meet._

_Eric_

Eric's letter left me cold; it was so devoid of emotion. That settled it for me, I was certain that the best course of action was to leave as soon as I could. I really wasn't interested in hashing out feelings, because it was obvious from his actions that he wasn't interested in much more other than tying up the loose ends of our business arrangements.

"Fine then," I said to myself. "If that's how he wants it, I'll deal with it." I felt a brief flash of resentment, for his indifference. I was feeling that I had done what I had to do; maybe this was the time that I was being "high and mighty" for the first time in our relationship – if you could call it a relationship.

I showered again, and decided to just braid my hair after I dried it with the hotel drier. I didn't put on any eye makeup, and I pulled on a pair of jeans and the sweater I had worn the first night. I packed up the few things I had unpacked the night before, and called the concierge to book the flight. Once that was done, I turned on the television to block out the sound of silence, and reached out again for Eric. I felt a brief glimmer of contact through our bond, before it was silenced again on his end. I pursed my lips in annoyance, and decided that he wasn't getting a call if he was going to be like that. Maybe I was being immature, but I thought that I had handled a lot in the past year from vamps and I wasn't about to mix my heart with what my head was telling me to do. And right now my head was telling me to get my ass home.

I sat on the edge of the bed for a bit. I wasn't tired, and my flight wasn't for another 5 hours. I thought that I could probably waste a few hours at the airport and decided to see if there was an open restaurant that I could go to, and have a cup of coffee, and maybe something to eat. I'd get the cab to drop me off back here after, so I could catch my ride.

I checked out of my room after signing my credit card bill, left my luggage with the front desk and walked over to an all night restaurant across the street. I ordered pancakes, coffee and sausage and dug in.

The waitress had just delivered my meal when I felt him walk in. I didn't even have to look to know that he was there, because the bond opened up – just his presence was enough to let me know that he was there. I continued to eat my meal, when he sat down at my table. We sat in silence for a moment and then he spoke.

"You were just going to leave, without saying anything at all?" I continued to eat and didn't look up to see him. "Is this how it is going to be Sookie? When the going gets bad – what is the saying? You leave?"

I glared up at him indignantly. "Eric, it's just more of the same bullshit, bullshit, bullshit. You are all the same. You all want me for what I can give you – not for what I am – when push came to shove last night – you just bailed – no talking – nothing." I thumped my hand on the table to emphasize my point.

"Sookie – come on. Last night's events were completely shocking at best. We argued, your trust issues with me– then with Occella, you can't blame me if I was a little overwhelmed at the turn of events. It's not like you stayed to discuss it with me. You just decided to go rent a hotel room and disappear." He played with the sugar shaker a moment. "You would just leave, and not say anything at all? Is that the way it is?"

"Eric, I don't know how it is. What I know is that you and I, there's something there and it's really important to me... But when you just up and left, in the middle of it all – without even saying something to me – I don't know. I feel really bad about Occella – and I don't know how you are feeling about it, about me doing what I felt I had to do. You pushed me away. I don't know what to feel. I know this sounds really lame – but I'm really confused."

I looked at him for the first time since he'd sat down, and saw the sadness in his eyes. My eyes welled up with tears and they threatened brim over. I blinked them back. I didn't know how to make this right, I felt so alone – he was holding his bond back from me, and that's something that Eric and I had right from the moment that I sucked the bullet out of his chest in Dallas. I felt alone, and I shivered.

We sat in silence, and the waitress came to clear up the dishes. I asked her for the bill, and placed my credit card on top of the tray- indicating that she should take care of it that way. She walked away, and I began to put on my coat.

"So you are leaving. We've been through a half lifetime of events that have great magnitude for both of us, and you feel you can just walk away from it..." He sounded resigned and tired, and it echoed how I felt.

I nodded. "Eric you cut me off. What is there to make me stay? I am grieving a loss of us, and you aren't doing anything to make this easier for me. You aren't saying much to make me feel like I'm wanted or even that I did the right thing with Occella. I don't even feel you right now. What is there? You don't even want to share yourself with me anymore."

Eric looked down on his hands, and I could tell he was conflicted. But both of us were too proud to say what we wanted to the other. I knew that if I could get up the courage that I might be able to say something, anything to make him open to me, but I was too scared of the rejection to say anything. I love him, I loved him so much, and I figured it might be the same for him, but maybe it wasn't, and I just wasn't willing to put my heart on the line again.

I reached over and took his hand, and raised it to my lips. "I love you and I will love you always Eric." He said nothing at all, so I put my coat on, and turned my back to him, holding back the tears until I exited the restaurant. I sobbed as I crossed the street, and I looked back into the window of the restaurant, and saw him sitting at the table still, not looking up. I entered the cab that was waiting for me and I took my leave.

I was numb as I crossed the border back into the United States, and was taken to the airport. I felt dead inside as the plane took off and carried me back to my home state, where at least I could go through the motions of my life and pick it up where I had left off.

No more vampires, I thought to myself. They had hurt me enough. I would date normal guys and if that didn't work, then I guess I would just have to face a life of solitude. No supernaturals at all. I travelled for the next four hours, and before I knew it, a cab was dropping me off in front of my house off of Hummingbird Road. My car sat forlornly in front of the house, and I unlocked the door to the house and went in.

My mail was sitting on the table, but the house was stale. I opened a window or two thankful for the warmer weather of Louisiana. I shed the heavy winter coat, and walked, anaesthetized into my bedroom and sat on my bed. Looking around my room, I saw all the things that were Gran's, the bed that I had slept on with Bill and made love with Eric, and I mourned the loss of my innocence. I drew my body into a ball, and wept. My heart was breaking, and I didn't think I'd ever be the same.

There is something about tears that can be cleansing to the soul. And if there was a soul that was squeaky clean, it was mine that night, for I shed a thousand tears for my love lost, whom I could still feel even though he didn't want me to, thousands of miles away.

The next morning when I woke, there was an envelope on my table, containing a cheque for seventy thousand dollars, signed by Eric Northman. There was no note.


	17. Chapter 17

Good Evening all! - It's late - I'm lame it's Saturday night and I'm doing this instead of being out on the town! In my defense, I also have a cold and it sucks outside. So I'm jammies writing in bed. I think I'm tying up the loose ends, and it seems to be coming together. There's still a couple more things to take care of, but we're getting there. Loving the reviews, thanks so much for reading this. I'm having a lot of fun doing this. The bandaids have almost all been ripped off this story, and the bleeding has almost been staunched. We still have one or two more wee issues to deal with, but I can see the crest of the hill coming as the end rises up to meet us. Maybe you'll join me all the way through. Thanks for sticking around. we'll have to do this again sometime. T. xo

_Anything I write or say in this story is for fictional purposes only, and is not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, or individual, or anyone or thing, especially those with the ability and desire to fight back or bite me. This story may inadvertently and occasionally become obscene, prurient, useless, hate-filled, poisonous, pornographic, frivolous, empty, rotten, bad, disgusting, hostile, repulsive, virulent, infectious… I cannot in any way condone, endorse or take responsibility for such content, it is probably due to a complete lack of coffee, sleep and sex._

_While the storyline and what streams over the next few months are mostly mine - I owe the characters and the basis to which I am writing to Charlaine Harris, and I do not make any money or gain anything from doing this except the fantasizing as I wait impatiently for the next book to come out._

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Chapter Seventeen

For the next few days, I went through the motions of my life, as if nothing had happened. I deposited the cheque from Eric into my bank account and didn't think about it again. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it, but I knew that I would have a pile of bills to pay coming in the mail soon, from my credit card and the flight back home, hotel – not to mention the regular bills that come in each and every month. I figured I'd think about that later.

I hadn't heard from Eric in over a week, and I was still numb from all of the events that had occurred while we were in Canada. Sam had wisely asked me how the trip was, and at my curt 'fine', he dropped it and didn't ask me again. I caught him looking at me a few times, with concern written on his face, but he always lowered his gaze once I met his. I hadn't tried to call Eric, nor he call me and as a matter of fact I hadn't seen hide nor hair of a single vamp.

The time passed slowly, and I began to heal a bit on the inside. I still felt very hollow, but still the silent path that my life had taken, which ended up being a monotony of work, going home to an empty house, doing housework that didn't need to be done, sleeping too much and eating not enough - I began to heal. "And this too shall pass," as Gran used to say.

It was at least four weeks since I'd been back, and I was hiding out. Jason had stopped by a few times for lunch, and invited me over to his house for a barbeque on night. That was about it for a social life for me lately, and one night I finally felt restless enough to leave the house. I figured that this was a good sign, so that evening, after I was done work – I decided that I would go back to Merlotte's as a customer, rather than a waitress. I just needed to get out and do something. I'd heard Bill was back from Peru, but I'd not run into him, nor had he come into Merlotte's. I was glad for that, and I hoped that my not seeing him would continue this evening. It was the first time I'd had a weekend off since I'd been back, because I had a fair amount of weekends to make up to the other waitresses who had covered me recently.

I showered and went to my closet to examine what to wear. I had been living in jogging pants and t-shirts because it was easy, and comfortable. I pulled out a pair of low rider jeans that only fit me when I was having a skinny month – tonight they fit me to a tee, which perked my spirits a bit. I threw on a thick black leather belt with it and a black v-neck knit sweater. For jewellery, I put on a gold chain, with a locket on it and a pair of gold hoop earrings. I pulled my hair back from my face with a barrette, and used the curling iron to curl the sides and back until it was cascading down my back in ringlets. I spritzed on some perfume, and applied mascara and some lipstick and smiled at myself experimentally in the mirror. Slipping on a pair of black loafers and grabbing my black boyfriend jacket and a leather purse, stepped out on the porch and locked the door behind me.

I drove to Merlotte's thinking about everything that had happened, and I began to feel a little apprehensive about walking into the bar, after all Merlotte's is where it all began. Going there for work was one thing, but going there for pleasure was another. I thought of Arlene, who had turned her back on me, after I began to date another vampire, of Sam who I knew had more than a sisterly interest in me, and of all the other people in Bon Temps who thought me crazy because of the way that I'd had to shut myself off in order to not be overwhelmed with their thoughts from my telepathy. Now they just thought me even stranger because of my known affiliation with vampires. I couldn't win.

Without even thinking about it, I drove right past Merlotte's and took the turnoff to Shreveport. I just drove with no intent, not really thinking of what I was doing – just to go. I knew where I was going to end up.

I pulled into the parking lot of Fangtasia, and it was full as usual. The line up extended well past the back of the building. There was a brunette vamp who was wearing a shocking pink satin gown with black ribboned corset manning the door, but I didn't recognise her. I waited in line, until I reached the front of the line and showed my id and paid my cover charge. She looked me up and down and I saw her nostrils flare when she took my money, but she said nothing to me, so I just smiled and walked in. As soon as I went into the bar, the feel of him overwhelmed me. Maybe it was because it was the first time that I had been in his presence in so many weeks, or it could have been the sheer proximity of_ him_. I didn't even have to look up to know that he knew I was there, because I felt the shock of his reaction in seeing me walk in – and then the gladness that rushed through him- that was abruptly cut off as soon as he realized he was projecting it.

I took a deep breath and walked over to the bar, without looking at where he normally sat. I thought I would fortify myself with some liquid courage, and I ordered a gin and tonic. Pam spotted me, and sauntered over.

"Sookie dearest, whatever brings you to our neck of the woods?" She smiled toothily at me. "It's been very long, too long in fact… I heard you and Eric had quite the encounter in Niagara Falls, took out the trash, so to speak."

"Well Pam I wouldn't call it that exactly, but yes it was an eventful trip." I met her eyes as I took a sip of my drink. I decided to go for it. "Do you think he'd speak to me Pam? He and I haven't spoken and I haven't seen him since I left there."

She looked at me impassively, I couldn't get a read on her expression, and because of this I turned on the telepathy – on high. She didn't know I could hear vampires – maybe I could find out if this was all in vain. I caught that Eric had been extremely moody with the staff, ranging from sullen silences to rages. He had destroyed the desk and chair in his office on evening, because of a cash register that didn't balance out exactly to the penny, and had taken to leaving the bar early on busy nights, saying that he wasn't in the mood for it. I saw all this in her head as clear as day, and part of me was glad. I also saw her annoyance with the situation, a frustration that he wouldn't just snap out of it, and a lack of empathy for the situation in general. She also could not understand what either Eric or Bill saw in me at all, aside from the fairy blood. I gathered from her that Eric might have cut me off from his emotions, but it didn't mean he wasn't feeling them. I heaved a sigh of relief.

"You can try to speak to him Sookie, but I've never seen the Sheriff like this before. He won't talk about what happened up there, but I know that Occella is dead. He won't speak of it at all. I assumed he was grieving for his maker, but he says that this is not the case." She paused and looked at me speculatively. "There is a hearing involved for the death of Occella Sookie. The Vampire League officials want to know the details of his final death, and Eric refuses to speak to them. The International representative has been here twice in the past week, and Eric has left both times before speaking to them. I am afraid for my maker Sookie, perhaps it would be best if you did speak to him. If Eric is responsible for the slaying of Occella, he will eventually have to face the punishment." She looked thoughtfully at me. "Unless of course he didn't do it."

She raised an eyebrow at me, and I stared back at her not saying a word, but my mind was racing. She suspected... I wondered what the Vampire League officials would do to a mere human if they knew I was the one who had ended Occella. Either way, it sounded like they were going to hold Eric responsible for the death of Occella. But it was me, I did it. I couldn't allow that to happen, not now – it wasn't right, enough senselessness.

"Thanks Pam – I think I will go and talk to Eric now." I picked up my drink and wove my way through the crowded bar. Several vampire heads turned as I walked by, and I picked up the pattern thoughts of lust directed towards me. Eric watched me walk towards him, with no hint of a smile on his face. At his side was a voluptuous blonde, rubbing his arm and whispering in his ear.

When I reached the table, he turned to her, and said, "Go away - now." The blonde stopped what she was doing, and shot a look of pure disbelief at him. The she looked me up and down, and her face pinched in on itself, in a glare of pure poison directed at me. She stood up in a huff, and with a twitch of her round ass she walked over to the bar, where she sat down next to a muscle bound vamp, sipping a True Blood.

"Sookie, lovely to see you here. I wasn't expecting you this evening, what brings you here." Eric was polite and formal, but I sensed pleasure running through him despite what he was trying to keep from me.

"Hi Eric. I got the cheque. I wanted to thank you for it." I trailed off not really knowing where to start.

"I thought considering the work you did in Niagara Falls, that you certainly earned it. It was a trying time for all involved." He paused. "I wondered if you had considered the possibility of using some of the money to purchase yourself a new vehicle or something. Surely you can afford something a little more stylish than that thing you call a car, not to mention safer."

Figures that he'd immediately start in on something that was a bit of a sore spot for me. No one liked my car, but it had always been very reliable, I knew it had its moments where it chose to perform some functions, and not others, like windshield wipers or heat. At least I didn't have payments on it. However, he was probably right that I could afford something a little better, even if it was used.

"Honestly Eric, I hadn't really thought about it. I guess I could mull it over, but I'm not used to having much money, and I guess for now, it's just nice to know that it's there if I need it and I am just enjoying that feeling." I looked down at my hands and fidgeted. "You haven't come to see me lately." I said that quietly and looked up at him.

Eric was silent for a long moment, during which he looked out over the crowd but didn't really look like he was seeing it. "I wanted to give you some time, and also take some for myself. A lot has happened in a very brief span of time, more than I am used to having happen. After you've lived as long as I, much of the same happens again and again, only the faces are different. I am uncertain how to deal with some of the these feelings I'm having, and the loss of my maker, although necessitated by his insanity, has impacted me a little more than I had anticipated it would."

I thought about this for a little while. "So because I killed Occella, you don't think you can be with me?" I didn't dare to look up at him, because I didn't know what I would see on his face. "We're going to have to talk about this I think at some point. Pam tells me that there is to be an inquiry into his final death, and how it happened."

Eric reached down and took my chin in his finger and raised it up to look in his eyes. "Don't think that Occella's death is your burden. It is mine to bear. I do not blame you in the least, and I would have probably done it myself if you had not." He continued to look in my eyes. "You said you loved me at the restaurant that night, and yet you left anyways. Did you mean it?"

I paused, trust Eric to go right for the throat. We had other important things to talk about like an impending trial for the death of a vampire, and he wants to talk about my feelings. "Yes Eric, I meant it." Figured I'd keep it simple, he always took more rope than I doled out.

"I see." He scratched his chin and looked unseeingly at the dance floor. "And Bill, your feelings for him have diminished to the capacity that he will no longer be ah, an issue for you?"

I was starting to get a little pissed off. "Look Eric I didn't come here for a lot of psychobabble bullshit. I meant it – whether you choose to believe it is your own choice. I don't intend to discuss Bill with you. He is a dead subject to me, excuse the pun, and I guess if you can't take what I'm saying at face value, then you don't really believe I mean it." I paused – because I felt the flush in my face from the sudden anger, but it faded quickly, as my heart lumped in my throat. "I guess the shoe is on the other foot now, huh? This sounds familiar to the same argument we had in Niagara Falls."

He probably didn't believe me at all, I did kill his maker – he probably was holding himself back, all the things with Bill, with him – Eric and my relationship had been created in chaos and blood, and what kind of foundation was that?

"You are a courageous and passionate woman, and I am proud of you, and how you handled yourself in the face of death. You showed no fear in the moment when most would have cowered in terror. But no matter how much courage you showed at that time, it still doesn't take away from the fact that you can be a really stupid girl when it comes to matters of the heart."

I looked up at him blindly. I didn't fathom what he was saying, but then I felt the bond open up and he flooded my senses with love and passion. I gaped at him stupidly – knowing how I must look.

"You thought I would turn my back on you so easily Sookie? I told you that I needed for you to trust me, that what I had to offer you was time. You killed Occella because he was going to force me into servitude and possibly kill me and you did it with no thought of your own safety – and you knew I would come for you. You did what you had to do." He paused and repeated himself. "You did what you had to do, and you knew I would come for you - you trusted that I would catch you when you fell."

He reached down under the table, grasped my hand and brought it up to his lips, kissing them softly. My breath caught in my throat, because his touch sent embers of fire flying up my arm like lightning bolts. I saw his reaction to my sharp intake of breath, and his fangs ran down a little and his eyes began to smoulder. A sharp nail tapping on the table caught our attention and Eric looked up in irritation. My brows dropped as well at the interruption. Pam…

"Are we all kissed and made up now? Great – good to see, maybe now you can stop being such an utter asshole and we can focus on our little problem here?" She pointed her finger at the group of vampires that had just entered the bar. "Council has just arrived sheriff, perhaps you and Sookie could put off your reunion until later?"

"Council? For what? Is this for what you were speaking to me about Pam? Eric is this about Occella?" Eric didn't speak, but nodded to the vampire leading them in – to take them to his office. He stood up. "Have no fear lover, this is not as bad as it seems. I have a plan."

Pam raised her eyebrows. "Glad to hear it. Do you think you might be able to fill us in?"

"Not necessary Pam, remember your place and trust that I have it under control." Eric barely glanced at her, as he stood. He kept my hand in his, and indicated that I should follow him to his office. Pam followed behind us, and we entered the office.

There were four vamps standing there, none of whom I had ever seen before. Three were female and one was male. The male vampire had a three piece suit on, and was drop dead gorgeous. He had the kind of dark Brazilian looks that you can akin to hot sunny beaches, and oiled bodies lying in the sand. He looked totally GQ, and I noticed Pam giving him the once over with some heat in her eyes. The women were equally as beautiful, but at a different level. The three women seemed to be milling around the Brazilian as a planet orbits and sun, and he extruded an animal magnetism that I had only seen equalled once, and that was by my lover Viking at my side.

"Ahhh Eric, so nice of you to finally make the time to meet with us. We've been patient, but it is time to put this matter to rest. This would be your progeny, Pam I assume? And the human?" The Brazilian wasted no time in getting to the point of the matter. His minions stood silently against the wall, observing.

"Marcel, yes this is Pam, and this is Sookie Stackhouse – my witness to the events. Sookie – Pam this is Marcel Hanterra, adjudicator to the vampire authority." He motioned to the Brazilian.

"We've already met," said Pam heatedly. Eric gave her a look, and she settled down.

"Well Mr. Northman, we've spoken at length to Rogan Moore of Niagara Falls, and he has confirmed that a one Appius Livius Occella was breaking convention by selling vee with intent to redistribute and traffic it across the border from Canada to the United States. What we don't understand is how Mr. Occella's final death came about, as well – as the location of Nayali Sengana at this time. According to Mr. Moore, she had been missing since prior to your visit. Is there anything regarding this that you can attest to Mr. Northman?"

Eric made a motion to Pam, who left the room quickly. "My progeny is going to get someone who can assist with answering many of your questions, she'll be back briefly and I think that you will understand."

Pam returned momentarily with the vampire who had been running the door. The one female who had been wearing the shocking pink, and had acted slightly strange with me. I had assumed it was the fairy in me. I took a closer look at her. Like most vampires, she was utterly beautiful. She had wavy brown hair, the colour of caramel and rich brown eyes. Her lips were full and lush and she held herself with an air of aristocracy. She was lean, tall and lithe and would have looked right at home onstage at a ballet. Eric nodded to her and she took a step forward to speak.

"I am Nayali Sengena, and I can testify to the fact that Appius Livius Occella subdued me with silver and kept me chained in the basement of the warehouse on Huber Street Niagara Falls. He systematically drained and rejuvenated me in order to harvest my blood to sell and traffic across the border through his own customs brokerage. He was heavily in debt, and he found this a lucrative way to live the life he wanted..." She paused and swallowed. "He had told me he was going to have Eric come up, because Eric's blood would be so valuable and worth so much more than mine. I was with him for over two hundred years..." She trailed off.

Marcel put the tips of his fingers together and looked thoughtful. "And you escaped how?"

"Well the building was on fire. Sookie had been locked up in the basement with me, and she had gotten away. She fed me blood, and unlocked the silver chains. We escaped out the front door before the flames got too bad." She looked at me, and then unexpectedly I heard, _"Nod Sookie, like you agree with me."_

I was shocked that she had thought at me, (she knew!) but I nodded in agreement. Marcel looked from me to her. "And Occella was killed how?"

"Occella perished in the fire." Eric said simply. "He attempted to use a silver net on me, but I was able to maneuver out from underneath it. I was able to get it on top of him, and I left him there. I was searching for Sookie and the fire became to great and I exited the building. Occella's weres had circled the building, and while I was fighting them off, the building collapsed with Occella inside."

"And you can assent to Mr. Northman's disclosure of these events Ms. Sengena?" Nayeli nodded. "And you Miss Stackhouse, how do you fit in to all of this? I still have yet to figure out your purpose in being there."

"_Don't tell him you are a telepath Sookie. Say you were there with me, as my current lover. Say that you are mine."_ Eric thought this directly at me, but he was looking at Marcel, who I knew would miss nothing if were to be speaking to each other.

"Eric asked me to go as his companion. We are together right now. I belong to him." Ugh. I hated that, I belonged to no one. I saw Pam smirk, and I decided that before the night was over I was going to smack her, vampire or not.

Marcel drummed his fingers on the desk, and then he nodded at one of his assistants. "Well Eric, I'm not sure why you were being so recalcitrant about speaking to us, certainly if it was as bad as all that you had nothing to fear."

"Adjudicator, you must understand that it's been very difficult in dealing with the loss of my maker. I've not been myself. Also my sister was in terrible condition, and I felt it best to tend to her health first. It's been a terribly sad time for both of us. He may have betrayed us, but he was still our maker." Eric bowed his head as if in sorrow.

"Well providing that Rogan Moore can substantiate your story, although he says he took a knock to the head and was unconscious for quite some time, I would consider this matter at an end. Perhaps you would be so kind as to provide beverages for my assistants and I?" He looked at me with desire. Eric scowled.

"I'm sure that we can find some True Blood in the bar that will suffice your needs. As you know adjudicator, we do not allow feeding on the premises." Eric looked stern and Marcel threw back his head and laughed.

"Oh Eric I was just kidding, however your young blonde human does smell delicious. You are a lucky man. Come along ladies let us have a refreshment before we go on our way." He led the way to the door, and exited the office – Eric followed.

Pam and Nayeli stayed behind, and as soon as the office door shut, my shaking knees gave out and I sat on the floor. "Holy shit," I said numbly.

"You can say that again," said Pam. Nayeli nodded and closed her eyes. "You need a blood Nayeli, you are looking a little peaked. I'll go grab you one." She patted Nayeli on the arm almost maternally, and left the room.

I eyed Nayeli warily, because the last time I saw her she was chained and reaching for me. I wondered if she remembered.

"Thank you very much, for everything that you did." Nayeli's voice was low and she kept her eyes diverted to the floor.

"You're welcome..." I didn't know what to say next, but was saved when Pam came back into the room. Nayeli drank the True Blood back in a matter of a minute, and then closed her eyes.

"I feel better, I think I will go back out there for a bit... Thanks again Sookie, Pam I'll talk to you later."

Pam sat for another moment in the room, then with vampire speed came over to me, and where I was sitting on the floor. Within a second, I was picked up and deposited on the leather couch.

She knelt in front of me. "I don't know what he sees in you, I really don't and I wasn't there that night although I would have also fought to the death for my master. But I do know that you freed him and that you were ready to give up your mortal life for him. For that I will be grateful to you, and if you ever need something, please consider me someone you would ask." She gave me a brief kiss on the cheek. "Talk to you later my friend."

She sauntered out of the office, leaving a fairly speechless Sookie Stackhouse behind her.


	18. Chapter 18

**Shall I give it away? I think not. Maybe you know what's coming, maybe you don't. This is not a spoiler for the book or the HBO show, it's my own direction. Hope you enjoy it. I had a lot of fun writing it. It fairly poured out of me. Thanks for the lovely reviews, they are much appreciated. T.**

_Anything I write or say in this story is for fictional purposes only, and is not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, or individual, or anyone or thing, especially those with the ability and desire to fight back or bite me. This story may inadvertently and occasionally become obscene, prurient, useless, hate-filled, poisonous, pornographic, frivolous, empty, rotten, bad, disgusting, hostile, repulsive, virulent, infectious… I cannot in any way condone, endorse or take responsibility for such content, it is probably due to a complete lack of coffee, sleep and sex._

_While the storyline and what streams over the next few months are mostly mine - I owe the characters and the basis to which I am writing to Charlaine Harris, and I do not make any money or gain anything from doing this except the fantasizing as I wait impatiently for the next book to come out._

* * *

Chapter Eighteen

I sat in the office for a little bit, gathering my thoughts. I was really glad that Nayeli was okay, it didn't seem fair to me that another vampire in a position like Occella should have the right to command his offspring to do his bidding without question. I wondered why they were bound so tightly, but then I guess you would have to be a vampire in order to completely understand what the hell the deal was there. I considered what it would be like to be a vampire, to be able to run like the wind and be beautiful and young always. But to have to drink blood to live, well that's just gross. I didn't want to look at my friends and picture eating them. Ew. On the other hand, I was going to grow older, and my hair was going to go gray, and my body would sag and this was inevitable. My gran was a real looker in her day, and still the inevitability of aging faded her looks as it would mine. My Viking would always be beautiful and youthful. I would die, from natural or unnatural causes and at some point he would lose me. It was enough to make me ponder on whether the whole vampire thing was a better route than the slow steady decay of life. I could be with Eric forever.

I decided that I'd go out in the bar; I wanted to sit with Eric. I'd missed him so much. The music was thumping when I exited his office, and I saw that Fangtasia was absolutely packed. There were a lot of vamps there tonight, and the dance floor was full of humans and vampires gyrating to the music. I saw Eric and Pam up at Eric's table. Marcel was also there, with his entourage. They looked to be enjoying their bloods and I saw that at least four humans seemed to be standing by waiting for Marcel's group. I assumed that Eric had arranged for a fresher buffet for the adjudicator. Eric motioned me over, but sent me a thought, 'be careful, he watches everything.' He raised his glass to me, and patted the chair next to him.

Marcel saw me coming and smiled widely. "Miss Stackhouse, gracing us with your presence, an honour of course."

I couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or not, so I just let it pass. Eric gave me a light kiss on the cheek and picked up my hand. He stroked the inside of my palm lightly with the tip of his thumb, and my heart gave a brief thump. He and Marcel continued their conversation, while I put out casual feelers across the dance floor and towards the bar. I was bored, but content to sit with the vampires as they talked about times gone by and political things that held little meaning for me. The waitress brought me a ginger ale, and the vampires another blood. After quite some time, the bar began to empty and soon it became apparent that the bar was closing. Those who were getting lucky left with their species of choice, abiding by the "No feeding on the premises" rule. Marcel and his backup took their leave alongside several young men and women, who when I sent my gift towards them I was glad to find that they were not being glamoured, and were there of their own free will.

Eric told Chow to lock up and have the bar cleaned, and he took my hand and led me outside to his car. He pushed me up against the side of his Corvette, and grabbed the sides of my head in his hands, wrapping my hair in his fists and lowering his lips to mine. He kissed me leisurely, taking his time, as if savouring the taste of me, which I certainly was doing with him. It was like I was waking up from a dream. He had allowed for the bond to open up and the desire was coursing through him. He continued to ravage my lips and then looked down at me hotly.

"I'll take you back to Bon Temps if you want. But is it okay if I spend the day at your house? I can bring you back to your car tomorrow night, if that's okay." He said this softly and I nodded in agreement. I wanted him in the worst way, and I knew he could read my desire easily.

He picked me up lightly and had me buckled in to the passenger seat of the Corvette quickly, and we were whisking down the highway back home. His right hand massaged my thigh as he drove quickly towards my house. His hand travelled north and I knew he could feel my arousal. I compensated him by rubbing his thigh and felt his erection through his jeans. We were behaving like a couple of horny teenagers, and I figured if we didn't cool it, we were going to have to pull over and complete the act before we reached Hummingbird Road. I didn't relish the idea of have sex in a Corvette, two seater and all, and I really wanted to make sure that I extended this session as long as possible, so I pushed his fingers back from where they were just beginning to slip under the edging of my panties. He grinned over at me.

"Too hot for you Sookie? I can put down the window." He grinned evilly at me, and I laughed. Soon enough we were pulling into the driveway of my house. I caught a glimpse of movement at the side yard, but when the security lights came on, there was nothing there. Eric had been looking down at the controls on the car, and he didn't see. Come to think of it, I didn't really know what I saw, so I didn't mention it.

He had me at the door before I could say boo, and I fumbled in my purse for the keys to the front door. I turned my back to him, to unlock it, and he continued to kiss the back of my neck and reach around caressing my breasts with his hands. "Oh, will you fucking open," I moaned. The key finally turned in the lock, and Eric pressed me through the doorway. He kicked the door shut behind him, and we began tearing at each other's clothes.

My shoes were kicked off one by one, and I busied my hands with the belt on Eric's jeans while he pulled my sweater over my head. He bent down and tongued my nipples through the lace of my bra, while threw my head back and dug my fingers through his hair. His jeans fell to the floor with a jingle as his belt hit the tile and then mine joined his. He stood back and looked at me, in my bra and underwear. We just stood there for a moment, my chest heaving and his eyes fairly throwing fire from them. I couldn't take it anymore, and I took one giant stride towards him and pushed him against the wall. I pulled his hands up from his sides and pinned them against the wall, while my mouth sought his. I moved between his legs and rubbed myself against his erection. I nipped at his neck, and moved down towards his nipples, paying special attention to each one. My hands had slipped from his wrists at this point, and he was rubbing my shoulders aimlessly. He let out a low growl and pulled me up to his face.

"Now." He had never looked more animalistic than he did at that moment, and he lifted me up, until I was at his level. I wrapped my legs around his waist and continued kissing him, while he carried me and walked with purpose towards my bedroom.

He laid me on the bed and I reached for him. He kissed me thoroughly on my mouth, and moved his lips in a fiery trail down my neck to my breasts. He gave each their due, while he ran his tongue down the curve of my belly and the hollow of my waist. He went lower and lower, and paused when he reached my crescent.

"Look at me lover." He sounded husky, and his blue eyes were bright with lust.

I met his gaze, and he began to work me with his tongue. I moaned his name, and he continued to lick my pleasure core until I began to feel myself begin to ride a wave of pleasure. I grabbed the sides of the sheets and arched my back as I came so hard. He licked me clean as I crested the wave, and then he rose up to meet me. He kissed me on the mouth, long, hot and slow and I tasted myself on him.

He held himself up on his hands and entered me slowly, just allowing the tip to pierce me before he just held himself in check. I writhed underneath him struggling to make him enter me further, but he wouldn't give. He just held himself there, driving me crazy with desire.

"Do you love me Sookie?" His voice was husky.

"Eric, please love me, please be with me, I need you inside of me."

"Do you love me Sookie?"

"Oh God yes, I do – I love you so much darling – please darling, you have to keep going." I almost screamed in frustration.

Eric murmured to me, "my lover, my love, my life," and shoved forward into me.

"Ohmygod", and I was taken away into bliss.

We rocked together in unison and we met each other's driving thrusts. I clawed his back and drew blood as he lifted my hips to meet him each time he drove himself into me. He hissed and the fire in his eyes grew more intense. He continued to tell me to look at him, to meet his gaze during, and I could tell by the number of times that Eric had asked me to do this, that this certainly turned his crank. I wrapped my legs around his waist, and locked my ankles at the hips. He continued to push himself into me, beginning to move faster and faster until finally I could barely hear the difference in the pounding slap of flesh against flesh. My body was coated in sweat, and I was keening a low moan constantly as my pleasure increased. I could feel myself peaking again, and I stiffened and threw my head back. I began to come, and he stood up with me still in his arms and guided me to meet each of his thrusts. He was moving in a blur, and I felt the change of pace which meant he was getting ready to come as well. I held on to his neck and he lowered his face to my neck. I moved my hair to the side, and began to ride the wave of white lightning that was an orgasm with Eric. I screamed with the searing pleasure that ripped through me, and he roared and said something in his ancient language. He bit me on the neck, and drew blood from my heat and I gave up and drowned in an intense swell of ecstasy. I might have screamed again. I wasn't sure. But the next thing I knew, I was a puddle of relaxation in the middle of my bed, panting heavily, while Eric moved his tongue over the puncture marks on my neck.

"Eric, that was fantastic." I rolled over to look at him.

He smiled at me, and I caressed his face with my hand.

"You know, I do right? I wasn't just saying that because I was looking for an orgasm?" I wanted Eric to know that the feelings of love I had said I had for him weren't hormone induced.

"You forget that I have had your blood lover, I can tell when you are lying. And when you are not." He was curling a lock of hair around his finger and looking at me tenderly. I loved Eric like this. He was so unassuming, his hair a mess, propped up on an elbow the edge of my plain percale sheet just barely covering him. I smiled at him.

"Well as long as we're clear on that." I didn't know what to say from here, he had called me his love while we were making love, but he hadn't said it. I wasn't going to be one of "those girls" and push it. I just wasn't. So I decided to be happy in the moment, and bask in the warm afterglow of our loving. He wrapped the blanket around me, and put his arm around my chest holding me to him. He buried his face in my hair and smelled me.

"You smell so good. I missed you so much, you know." He kissed me lightly on the neck and I murmured sweet nothings back at him. It felt so good to be cuddled in his arms, and I began to drift off to sleep. As I did, I heard him whisper.

"I really do Sookie... I love you so much." I smiled and then went back to sleep.

I woke late the next morning to sunlight streaming in my windows. The day was cold, and there was a brisk wind, but a fire in my fireplace took the chill out of the air and I made a pot of coffee to drink. I tidied up the kitchen and picked up the clothing that had been left in a trail from the front door to the bedroom. I took inventory of the fridge and realized that I had no True Blood. I hadn't had much cause to stock it with the recent absence of vampires in my home. I decided I would go and get some, so that Eric would have some when he awoke. I didn't have my car, so I decided to take Eric's Corvette over to the grocery store. I filched his keys out of his pocket, grabbed my purse and booked it down the stairs. The car was a lot fancier and faster than mine – and I must admit it was an absolute pleasure to drive, but at the end of the day – didn't it get me to exactly the same place as my yellow beater did?

I grabbed the True Blood at the store and returned home. I parked the car carefully, and when I did I recalled the figure I saw at the edge of my clearing when we had pulled in the previous night. I decided to take a quick walk about the property to inspect if anything was amiss. I left the True Blood in the car, and walked around the house. I didn't notice anything missing or broken, but it just felt like someone had been around. I shivered in the cool breeze and decided to go back in the house. By now it was late afternoon and it had become overcast. The temperature had dropped and it felt like rain. I grabbed the True Blood out of the car and skipped up the steps to the door of the house. I had just placed my hand on the door, when I was grabbed from behind.

A hand clamped over my mouth, and I tried to bite it, but all I got was a solid punch to the stomach which knocked the air out of me, and a cuff across the face which split my lip. The True Blood crashed to the floor of the porch, splashing up the side of my house and leaving carnage of glass on the floor. The man, for now I knew that he was that, dragged me backwards down the stairs, and I fought like a hellcat. He threw me on the ground and jumped on top of me. He landed a solid clip to my jaw that dazed me and before I knew it I was being dragged through Homewood Cemetery, his filthy hands under my armpits and my heels leaving twin tracks through the dirt. I began to gather my senses about me, when I was thrown to the wood floor of a living room. I rubbed my hand against my jaw, and evaluated myself. Then I stood up, just to be pushed back onto a couch in the living room. I looked up and was completely pissed off. I didn't recognise the guy that was there, but I did recognise where I was. I was sitting in the middle of Bill Compton's living room, and I was pissed.

The guy standing there just looked at me, and I recognized the vacant and terrible stare of a vee addict.

"What the hell are you doing? Do you have any idea what's going to happen to you when the vamp at my house wakes up?" I didn't think he'd know about Eric, but he surprised me.

"Oh you must mean the blonde vamp sleeping in the compartment hidden in the small bedroom's closet? Oh that's not an issue. While you were gone, I took the liberty of tossing a silver net on him. He's going nowhere fast." The vee addict's eyes were insane and I began to get scared.

"You are in a vamp's house right now, did you know that? I used to date him. He's going to wake up very soon, and he's not going to be pleased that you are here. He hates vee addicts worse than any vamp I've ever met." I glared at the vee addict, and suddenly I heard a noise behind me. I knew before he spoke exactly what he was going to say and I knew exactly who was behind me. I felt my heart drop into my throat, because in having opened my mind to read the vee addict's crazy thoughts, I had also made myself available to read the mind of a vampire.

Bill looked down at me, and I felt tears well up in my eyes. I could see it all, right from the beginning – he started this whole cycle of events. The red haired vampire, he had made him for the express purpose of turning me. A vampire has to obey their maker, and Bill's rationale was to have his progeny turn me, and have zero liability for creating me as a vampire, while being able to control me through his child, who would be my maker. He could make me stay away from Eric, and he could make me belong to him again.

"It's the only way Sookie. You can't see how much it tortures me to have you in his arms instead of mine. I have to be with you. I was first; I made you mine from the moment we first made love."

He kneeled down in front of me, and my tears were falling down my face in earnest. I was so hurt and betrayed, _again_ by Bill, and now Eric was trapped at my house – in a place that was supposed to be safe – but Bill knew where the hidey hole was, he built it. Bill reached out to wipe the tears form my face and I recoiled. He looked at me coldly. If that's the way you'll have it then, that's the way it will be.

"Hold her down," he instructed the vee addict. He grabbed my arms and turned me towards Bill. "I'm going to turn you Sookie. It's the only way you'll stay with me and when I'm done, I'm going to go and end Eric Northman."

I screamed. "No Bill, you know that I don't want this. Please, don't – I'll hate you forever. I love Eric so much, you can't do this!"

Bill ignored my pleas and lowered his face to mine. He tried to kiss me, but I hauled back and spit at him and began to fight like a hellcat. His eyes turned cold, and he wiped the spittle off his face. "This is going to hurt."

He bit into my neck, not gently either, and I let out a high pitched scream. I could feel Eric awake through our bond, and I could feel he was in pain. He sucked at my neck, sapping my life force from me. My struggles grew weaker and weaker, and I began to feel very cold. It wasn't fair, I had just found love with Eric, and now I was going to lose it all. I vowed that I would find a way to end it, that I would meet the sun as soon as I could, as soon as I was turned as a matter of fact. I couldn't stand to be turned against my will, and to live a life without Eric, and he was going to die, because of me.

I felt my life's force draining out of me and I turned to meet Bill's gaze as I began to lose consciousness. All I saw was a wretched, selfish and pitiful creature who coveted that which he could not have. The darkness at the edges of my vision began to swim together and meet, and I sent a last wave of love towards Eric, and hoped that he felt it. Then I retreated into the dark.

* * *

Eric's POV

When the dark haired grease monkey opened Sookie's bedroom closet and tossed the net down on top of me, I came fully awake. I knew that I had to stay awake in order to be able to get a handle on whatever fucking situation was happening now. I felt Sookie in danger, and I tried to move the net, it was burning me too much, but luckily I had worn pants and a t-shirt to evade the dawn and it wasn't in direct contact with my skin. I began rocking back and forth as best as I could, and I felt the net slip to the side a bit.

I knew that Bill was behind this now. He was the only one that knew the location of this sleeping area during the day, I hadn't even told Pam about it. I continued to rock back and forth, and then pain flooded through the bond. I knew that it was getting dark, and that Pam would be rising. I sent a call of requirement to her through our maker/child bond and I felt her respond. She would be here shortly, but I could only pray that this was going to be soon enough. I felt that my time was short as well; it would only be a matter of time before Bill would visit me, now that he had risen and I would be vulnerable to him, if trapped in a hole, swathed in silver net.

I felt Sookie through the bond, her fear and anger, and then her pain. This made me double my efforts, and I felt the net slip yet again. A howl of frustration burst from my mouth, and then I felt Pam gaining ground and coming closer. Closer yet, and the house vibrated as she took the front door off the hinges. The closet door exploded inwards and suddenly Pam was there.

"What the hell is going on Eric," as she grabbed a blanket off the bed to shield her hands from the silver net and pulled it off of me. I shot out of the closet at once, and began running towards Bill's house.

"It's Compton Pam, it's always been Compton." I couldn't fly yet, I was too weak from the silver, and I needed my strength.

"Fuck a zombie!" Pam was so succinct at times.

We flew up the stairs and were in the house within seconds. I entered first, and saw the greasy vee addict holding her up, as Compton was draining my beloved. Her arms hung limply at her side, and her head lolled off to the side. Her heartbeat was so faint, it was barely a flutter, and she was as white as a sheet. Blood of my blood, my treasured one's, pattered to the floor in crimson droplets and I felt fury take over at the edge of my reason.

Pam immediately attacked the vee addict, who dropped his hold on Sookie. Bill disengaged himself from her and she fell in a limp bundle on the floor, her blonde hair obscuring her face. He extended his fangs and hooked his hands into claws. We went at each other like two animals, and tore at each other with fang and hands. I was thrown against the wall, and shattered a large framed mirror. Bill was much stronger than I was, as I was still healing from the netting, and hadn't fed and he'd just finished draining my beloved. Pam hissed and I motioned that she wasn't to interfere. She looked displeased, but she had to know that it was down to Compton and I, it had always been he and I – with Sookie it was down to this. He made a move to spin past me, and get me at my back, and I feinted to the right, lowering my body as he attempted to go behind me. I raised my shoulder into his sternum, and lifted him off the floor straight into the wall he had thrown me into. He fell to the floor in a heap, and I pulled a piece of the broken frame off the floor.

"You are about to pay a great deal, for what was once given to you freely Compton. I send you to your final death, know this – you will never be able to touch her again." I plunged the broken frame into his heart, and as I did, I am sure that I saw a look of relief pass over his face. Then I watched him implode in a shower of ash and blood.

I looked over towards the couch and saw Pam sitting next to Sookie. She had sliced her wrist and was attempting to give some to Sookie to revive her. "This is not working Eric. I've been trying to give her some, but her heart is still beating like that, and her spark- I sense it getting weaker." I knew that humans, the fragile creatures they were, could only take so much trauma before their bodies just simply gave out. There had been instances of our blood not working to heal, something to do with electrolytes and the chemical balances that were required. Sookie had received a lot of our blood in recent months, I suppose I should have possibly forseen this.

I picked her up in my arms and held her to me, whispering to her, and telling her that I loved her. Her heart was faltering, and I bit into my own wrist, hoping against hope that my much older and stronger blood would have the power to vanquish death and return my lover to me. We had not had any time together yet, and I couldn't bear to lose her. My blood ran into her mouth, and I felt no change. Her pulse grew more thready and I began to panic. I had no plan for this; I wasn't prepared in the least. Pam looked up at me, with sad eyes and shook her head.

"I have no choice Pam, if I don't do it. I'll lose her. I have to turn her, you have to help." Between the two of us, we moved Sookie outside to Bill's garden. We clawed out a hole in the ground, while I continued to feed her my blood. I placed her in the hole, and got in beside her.

"Take care of this mess and come get us in 3 nights. Cover us up." The dirt began to pile in on top of us, and I pulled her limp form near to me. I kissed her face and held her close. "It will be okay lover, I swear it."

I entered into what Sookie called 'downtime' and waited for the process to begin. I would be here when she awoke.

* * *

Sookie's POV

I awoke in the dark, a muffled feeling clogging my head, and I attempted to move my arms, but I couldn't. I felt Eric's presence next to me, and I heard him murmur to me that it was going to be okay. He began to push at what I now knew was dirt on top of us, and I began to panic with a slight sense of disorientation, and alarm. Why was I down in the dirt, what had happened? Where was Bill?

"Oh my God Eric – why was I - down there. Oh please, tell me that you didn't – why was I in the dirt?" I fairly screeched the last question, and I began to lose self control. My throat began to heat with an ember that was being fed with scents of the night. I could smell the blood pulsing in the veins of small animals in the cemetery, and of the bats that swooped through the night catching bugs. The ember glowed orange and it became harder to focus. I covered my face in my filthy hands and began to cry. Looking at the blood that fell from my eyes, I knew the entire truth. The events of the previous night began to run through my head. I couldn't fathom why I was here with Eric. I had thought I would wake up with Bill. I said as much to Eric. "You, turned me?"

Eric kneeled down. "It was the only way darling. We had only just begun to be together, I just couldn't bear to lose you. I'm sorry darling, I didn't know what to do, we had never really had the discussion about turning you or your feelings about it lover. I'm sorry, but if I had to it to do all over again, I would do it again. I couldn't bear to lose you." He lowered his mouth to mine and kissed me, despite all the grit and dirt on me - for an instant I felt the fiery ember subside and my libido take a leap. I held close to Eric trusting he would make this easier.

"You... made me? What will this do to our bond Eric? This is just... so much to handle at once." I took an experimental breath, my throat heating up and the need in my gut tightening again. It wasn't so much that I felt radically different, but rather that I was more. My throat burned with a fire, and I definately needed something - that something being blood... But I was still me. I never really had contemplated that I would still feel like me. I pressed my fingers against the side of my throat, and felt no pulse, then against my chest - and felt no beat. Bill was right when he described the process as simply 'magic'. I felt of another plane of existence. My senses thrummed and I turned this way and that, and began to feel a little anxious again. And thirsty.

I felt Eric's presence begin to calm me, and I took another deep breath even though it wasn't necessary. I could smell rain in the air, the faint scent of copper mingling in with the raw earth at my feet. I could hear all the sounds of the outside and then I realized that my vision was extraordinary – even though it was night time.

I looked up at Eric, and saw him looking down at me, the first glimmers of happiness spreading across his face. "Lover, do you see it? Can you feel it? The magic of the night?"

"I can Eric, and it's like magic. I feel like I'm in a fairy tale. But I really want to get this dirt off of me... And I am very thirsty. Do you think you could take me home?" I didn't think to ask about Bill, because I knew the answer to that already. His house was dark, and there was no sign of him. I really wanted to be inside my house, my home - the one place that provided me comfort. I wondered if the house would recognise me, or if I'd have to be invited in. But I just wanted to be home.

Eric led me down the worn path to my old homestead and we entered without incident. I gave a sigh of relief and felt immediately the comfort that always part of the family homestead. It embraced me, whether I was human or vampire. Pam was inside waiting for us and she smiled at me. "Well Sookie, aren't you just a dirty girl." She waggled her eyes at me, and I smiled briefly. She had a tray of True Bloods on the table, and she had a heated on ready for me, which she handed to me immediately. "Drink this, you'll feel better."

I lifted it to my lips and took a sip. It was not fantastic, but it definately cooled the ember that smouldered inside of me, so I knocked it back. Pam immediately handed me another, which I drank more slowly. I licked my lips slowly, and ran my tongue across my teeth, when it was empty. I felt the sharp clean edges of them and wondered if I would learn how to make them extend and retract quickly, or if it was involuntary. I looked down at my hands and saw how filthy they were, and felt embarassed.

"I'm going to go shower now. Can you guys give me a few minutes?" I walked into my old bedroom, and it felt different but somehow the same. I had no idea how the people I knew and loved were going to take it, but hopefully they would view the alternative as a negative. I turned on the shower, and began to wash myself down. The dirt swirled down the drain and I washed myself with body wash and conditioned my hair, until I was as clean as I could be. I considered my predicament, and the only thing I could come up with was that if I hated the life of a vampire, I could easily meet the sun. It wouldn't be difficult to do. But life with Eric was really something to consider...

I dressed casually in a pair of jeans and a white v-necked t-shirt. I brushed out my hair, which was luxurious and soft. My skin glowed as if lit from within, and my eyes were so strange. I looked ethereal and beautiful. My tan was gone, and I had skin like a porcelain doll. I felt a moment of sadness, as I realized that I would never be able to look at the sun again, or to see flowers bloom in the morning.

"Okay, okay," I muttered to myself. "Get a grip - one day at a time. Would you rather be dead or be bound to Bill for eternity?" I took another deep and unnecessary breath and walked into the living room.

Eric was sitting on the threadbare couch, reading a book, and it looked as though Pam had left. Eric looked stunned when I walked into the room. "You are breath-taking." I smiled and he handed me a True Blood that had been sitting on the table. I took a drink out of it, and felt it quench the thirst that had crept up on me, while I was getting ready. Eric smiled at me.

"It will get better. As you get older, you won't require as much." He had lit a fire, and he took my hand in his. He turned to look at me, and I to him.

"Darling, I cannot promise that this will be an easy transition. In my day it was not done in such a fashion. Since the great revelation, new vampires are living amongst their friends and family of their former lives." He paused and looked thoughtful. "You'll have to face the fact that you will outlive your friends and what's left of your family. But I will be by your side. I promise you that. I have never ever felt this way about anyone in the millennia that I've been alive. You are mine."

I leaned my head into the crook of his shoulder. It was funny how; while I was human I could feel the coldness that was vampire, but now he felt almost warm to me. I wondered if I would still retain any of the fairy abilities that had manifested themselves in recent months. I asked as much of Eric.

"It remains to be seen of course. You may retain them, they may be gone. They may be intensified. Most vampires have gifts, carried over from their human existence, and many of them can become extremely strong." He looked at me carefully. "I'll be with you during this, as long as you want me, that is."

I looked at him and felt his passion come through our bond, stronger now than ever. I leaned over and kissed him hard on the mouth. "Does that answer your question love of my love?" He smiled a megawatt smile at me, and reached over to the coffee table to the book he was reading when I walked in the room.

"Have you ever read this book darling? It was on your bookshelf, a collection of poems and letters." I shook my head and he put his finger in a marked section. "This one here, the book just fell open to it when I took the book down from the shelf. It's like it was meant for me to see it."

I took the book from him and looked at it. It had always been there, but I must admit, I had never opened it. I opened the front cover and saw the inscription. It was inscribed, _To Adele – Love John, always yours in love_. My grandfather Stackhouse had given this book to my grandmother. The date was the year before their marriage.

"What poem was it?" I was curious, and Eric met my gaze.

"It was actually a letter, but I thought it fitting, and thought you might like to hear it." Looking down at the book, he read it to me.

"_My thoughts go out to you, my Immortal Beloved, now and then joyfully, then sadly, waiting to learn whether or not fate will hear us - I can live only wholly with you or not at all - Yes, I am resolved to wander so long away from you until I can fly to your arms and say that I am really at home with you, and can send my soul enwrapped in you into the land of spirits. No one else can ever possess my heart - never – ever. Be calm - love me - today - yesterday - what tearful longings for you - you - you - my life - my all - farewell. Oh continue to love me - never misjudge the most faithful heart of your beloved.  
Ever thine  
Ever mine  
Ever ours"_

He finished the letter, and I sat there absorbing it. It was like it had been written for us, Eric and I. My immortal beloved. I kissed him full on the lips and he returned it to me, with fervour and passion, and I smiled inside. I knew that irregardless of whether one was human, fairy, vampire, werewolf, shifter or witch – that love was born of the ages, and he and I were destined for each other from the moment I walked into his bar in Shreveport.

"Would you like to go experience the night Sookie?" Eric took my hand, and I stood up with him.

"Yes Eric, I would. I will go anywhere with you." We walked out onto the porch of my family home, and the darkness embraced us. "I love you Eric."

"And I you Sookie Stackhouse. You are my Freyja, my lover, my immortal beloved."

**********************************The End*********************************

* * *

_Immortal beloved is from a series of letters that Beethoven wrote to an unidentified woman, and they were discovered after his death. I've always thought it such romantic piece of work and thought it appropriate considering the fact that Sookie is now immortal. I may continue with a sequel to this story, because I can still come up with lots of ways to get Sookie in trouble, plus there are a lot of lemons left on the tree. Perhaps we should shake them out together you and I?_

_Has it been a ride? Of course. I tried very hard not to make any of you bleed in the course of my storytelling, but if I did, well you should probably keep better company. Vampires are dangerous... Thanks again, perhaps we'll see each other soon._

_Tryllium... xo_

_Update - Oct. 27-2010 - Sequel is being created as we speak - "Blood is the New Black" Check it out._


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